[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19680]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    SWEEP AROUND OUR OWN FRONT DOOR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I stand today concerned about what 
happened on the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina. I hope that apart 
from this devastation we can say that Hurricane Katrina has brought to 
light the atrocities that have been going on for years across our 
country.
  Only yesterday in Cleveland, Ohio, we were notified that 400 evacuees 
would be coming to Cleveland tomorrow that we were supposed to support. 
Only 2 hours ago, we learned that they were not coming.
  This is a part of that same situation we are talking about, that FEMA 
does not know what they are doing. What we are concerned about is 
people being put on a bus, being told, ``We are going to take you 
somewhere,'' and the people do not even know where they are going. It 
is part of denying these evacuees dignity, denying them an opportunity 
to say that we are Americans and we are entitled to the very same 
democracy that everyone else is entitled to.
  Far too long we have neglected the underprivileged of this country, 
and we are quick to criticize others for not taking care of their own. 
However, we have all forgotten the poor in our country and we are 
hoping this will be an opportunity again for this country to address 
the issue of poverty, the lack of housing, the lack of education, the 
lack of the ability to create wealth, the lack of opportunity to grow 
African American and small businesses.
  A recent study by the Population Reference Bureau noted that the 
Orleans Parish, Louisiana, and Harrison County, Mississippi, are 
counties that are homes to New Orleans and Biloxi and have median 
incomes that are just above $32,000, 44 percent below that of the 
national average. I will not read through all the statistics that I 
have, but I will say these statistics point out the dilemma that we 
face as a result of poverty being rampant in our country. It is 
unacceptable. It is unacceptable.
  Now, the President said it was unacceptable what FEMA did, but since 
saying that he is backing off on his statement about its being 
unacceptable.
  The other thing I need to point out is, people keep saying to those 
of us who are speaking out that we should not place any blame, that we 
should be quiet and move forward. But the reality is, you have got to 
own up to your mistakes before you can correct those mistakes. And the 
United States Government needs to own up to the mistakes that they made 
over the past few days with regard to this.
  There is a gospel song that says, ``Sweep around your own front 
door,'' and that is what we need to do in America is sweep around our 
front doors across this country, the doors that used to exist, the 
doors that no longer exist.
  It is our job, and we are calling upon people across America to say 
that it is unacceptable, that what we have seen over the past few days 
from our government is unacceptable, that it is not permissible and 
that the people of America, the people who have been devastated by the 
storm, deserve to have the same kind of support, the same kind of 
encouragement that all other Americans want.

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