[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 19682-19690]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HURRICANE KATRINA DISASTER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 4, 2005, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I am joined this evening by 
the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), my colleague from New 
Orleans, on a Special Order held by the Congressional Black Caucus to 
discuss the events of the last few days relative to Hurricane Katrina.
  As you know, we have had serious troubles in our part of the country. 
The gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) and the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Davis) and myself, who are members of the Congressional 
Black Caucus, have had our districts pretty much decimated because of 
Hurricane Katrina, and we have some serious concerns about our 
government and its response. On behalf of the Congressional Black 
Caucus, we want to share those concerns tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield at this point to the gentleman from Louisiana 
(Mr. Jefferson).
  Mr. JEFFERSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, it is important the Congressional Black Caucus address 
these issues tonight because many of the people who are affected by 
this tragedy are African American and otherwise impoverished or 
disadvantaged, and they are folks who need to have their concerns given 
voice tonight.
  Many of our Members will talk on different issues. I want to talk 
about the recovery of that area, of our area, and about an economic 
recovery package for New Orleans and the other areas affected by 
Hurricane Katrina.
  Hundreds of thousands of my constituents have been uprooted from 
their homes. More than 100,000 businesses have been shuttered, and 
possibly thousands of lives have been lost to the wrath of Hurricane 
Katrina.
  The extent of the damage, the human toll, property damage and 
economic loss is unprecedented in our Nation's history.
  Of particular significance, a disproportionate share of the damage in 
my hometown of New Orleans was meted out to parts of our great city 
that were already extraordinarily economically disadvantaged.
  The poverty and economic depression in these areas in no small way 
were factors in the extraordinary loss of life and property experienced 
by my constituents.
  For that reason, it is critically important at this time to come 
together to ensure that all areas affected by Hurricane Katrina receive 
the necessary resources to rebound from what could be an economically 
devastating blow all across the gulf coast.

[[Page 19683]]

  Now, we are talking about an economic package of $40 billion coming 
up. We just approved $10 billion a few days ago, but I think it is 
important to put the right number before the Congress. At this time, we 
do not know what that number is, but we know it is a lot larger than 
$50 billion.
  The Wall Street Journal reports today that through their own analysis 
they have come up with a figure of $150 to $200 billion. Today, at a 
press conference, I called on our Congress and our Nation to set aside 
some $225 billion for this tragedy, $100-plus billion for New Orleans 
alone.
  I believe it is important to talk about a number that is closer to 
the right number now so that we will not have the rest of the Congress 
figuring that we have already fixed the problem with 40 or 50 or $60 
billion when we know it is going to be four times that number.
  So as the Congress moves on various relief packages, I would like to 
articulate a few principles and policy proposals I believe should guide 
our efforts and be included in any relief package.

                              {time}  2000

  First, the urban poor in New Orleans were dramatically and 
disproportionately affected, as I have said, by the destruction of 
Hurricane Katrina. Therefore, our efforts must include provisions to 
improve conditions to the point that the magnitude of the damage is 
never again experienced in our great Nation.
  Second, businesses large and small have been shuttered throughout the 
region, leading to an economic double whammy. Not only is the region 
cut off from the goods and services provided by these businesses, but 
the tens of thousands of employees working for these businesses are cut 
off from their jobs and their paychecks.
  Third, the public health effects of Hurricane Katrina are also 
extraordinary. In response to the health impacts of the hurricane, we 
must restore health care access, health care quality, health outcomes 
and the health care worker force because all Americans deserve equal 
treatment in health care. A proper investment in health care will 
improve both the health and economic well-being of our region and our 
country. The legislation we propose ought to address rebuilding the 
public health infrastructure and ensuring health care coverage. We 
must, therefore, move to immediately counter these difficult 
challenges.
  On the economic front, I think it is important to propose measures to 
jump-start the economic recovery throughout the gulf coast, and in the 
long term to improve the lives of hardworking Americans throughout the 
region. Because there are a number of Federal tax benefits conditioned 
on the household living situation of the taxpayer, and in light of the 
extraordinary displacement of citizens throughout the region, I think 
we should recommend changes to the Tax Code that ensure that displaced 
Americans are not disqualified from the tax benefits to which they are 
otherwise entitled as a result of the hurricane.
  Under current law, there are limits on a taxpayer's ability to deduct 
casualty or disaster losses in ways that would severely affect large 
numbers of our constituents. Accordingly, I believe we should propose 
to eliminate any barriers in the Tax Code that would prevent the 
devastated families from the tax relief to which they are now entitled.
  So many of our people who lost their property back home were not home 
owners; unfortunately, they lived in apartments. They did not have 
renters insurance or flood insurance. They have lost everything. This 
has to be taken into account as we go about this.
  One of the most extraordinary effects of Hurricane Katrina ever is 
the unprecedented destruction of housing in New Orleans. One hundred 
sixty thousand homes in New Orleans alone, and across the area more 
than 200,000 homes have been affected by this or destroyed by this 
hurricane. This is going to take some extraordinary action by FEMA and 
HUD, and some flexibility in the Community Development Block Grant 
program and the HOME program to get our region back on its feet.
  I think we should look at the New Markets Tax Credits program and add 
$1 billion in 2006 and another $1 billion in 2007 to help with the 
restructuring there.
  With our businesses, of course, there are no jobs, and we ought to 
ensure that we provide businesses throughout the region the tools 
necessary to reopen and thrive, as well as incentives to provide jobs 
to the thousands of displaced Americans throughout the region.
  On health care, we ought to have a declaration of emergency to 
trigger emergency Medicaid provisions, and we ought to allow our States 
to therefore simplify the application process and eliminate other 
barriers to enrollment and participation. We should think about a 100 
percent Federal Medicaid match to States directly affected by Hurricane 
Katrina or States receiving evacuees, and elimination of residency 
requirements as people are being scattered throughout the country.
  On Medicare, we ought to waive the late enrollment penalties for 
affected residents to sign up for the new prescription drug benefit 
from October of this year to some other time, if they become newly 
eligible. We ought to delay transition of the affected dual-eligible to 
the Medicare program. And we ought to create a health safety net for 
all people affected by Katrina.
  With regard to the health care workforce, we have to redirect our 
resources there to make sure we have people available to do the work. 
We ought to establish health empowerment zones, for instance, and 
freeze budget cuts for safety net and public health programs for two. 
And, finally, we ought to be concerned about the mental health of our 
people, because displacement is a terrible mental health issue, and we 
ought to make sure services are delivered there in the proper way.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to my colleague, the chairman of 
the Congressional Black Caucus, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Watt).
  Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. 
Thompson) for providing an opportunity for us to speak this evening. I 
am speaking as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and we are here 
to show our support for our three Members whose districts have been 
severely and adversely affected by Hurricane Katrina, the gentleman 
from New Orleans, Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), who represents part of that district, and 
the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis), who represents part of that 
State. We are here to support their efforts on behalf of their 
constituents.
  Mr. Speaker, it is coincidental that those constituents are 
disproportionately African American. I say it is coincidental because I 
believe this catastrophe, this hurricane, was certainly not directed at 
African American people. But the reality is that poor people, 
disproportionately African American people who were poor, were not able 
to get away from the disaster. When they were told to leave New 
Orleans, in particular, they did not have the financial means to escape 
the disaster.
  This is an issue that the Congressional Black Caucus has been talking 
about not only in the context of a hurricane, but in the context of an 
agenda which describes disparities in every area of our lives. It is an 
agenda that we have been talking about the entire year. We did not just 
start talking about it in the context of a hurricane.
  Disproportionately, African Americans are poor. And if this same 
catastrophe had happened in any American community in which black 
people and white people were living, disproportionately African 
Americans would have been left behind, subject to the whims of nature 
and the catastrophe.
  So we are here to express our support for our Members and their 
constituents, and we heartily endorse the proposals that have been 
outlined in general terms by our friend, the gentleman from New Orleans 
(Mr. Jefferson). We endorse them and we encourage our colleagues to 
embrace them.
  Our Nation is at a crossroads, and we must respond. We must respond 
to

[[Page 19684]]

these constituents in the same way that we would respond to other 
Americans, rich, middle class and otherwise, who were subjected to this 
kind of disaster. I encourage my colleagues to pay attention to what is 
going on in this area and to devote our resources and our energy, both 
private-sector and governmental, to addressing this problem.
  Mr. Speaker, I will yield back to my colleague, the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), and again applaud him for providing this 
opportunity for Members of the Congressional Black Caucus to address 
this issue.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick).
  Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from 
Mississippi for yielding to me and for his leadership during this 
difficult time. We are here to stand with you and to offer assistance 
to you.
  And to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), whose district 
has been so devastated, we are here to say that we support you 
wholeheartedly.
  I want to thank the millions of Americans, individual Americans and 
families, who have brought into their own homes, into their churches 
and into their schools many people who find themselves homeless. I want 
to applaud the American citizenry for stepping up at a time when our 
Federal Government did not.
  In our own State of Michigan, we have received evacuees. The governor 
advised today that no more evacuees would be coming to Michigan, but I 
am here to say, Madam Governor, that they are still coming to Detroit. 
We have 300 families in Detroit right now and we are housing them, we 
are clothing them, we are feeding them, and the medical community in 
Detroit has come together under the leadership of Mayor Kilpatrick.
  I want to pledge to my colleagues, the gentleman from Mississippi 
(Mr. Thompson), the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) and the 
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis) that we will continue to do that. We 
are here to serve, to represent, and to take care of the least among 
us. And so we will do that, my congressional brothers. And I want the 
governor of the State of Michigan to know that we appreciate her, but 
we will take care of these people as they come to our doors from this 
grief-stricken region.
  I want to applaud Secretary Alphonso Jackson and HUD, who has been 
working with our mayor to make sure that we have the facilities 
available. Our private community has stepped forward, our hotel 
industry, our manufacturers of food, and our health care industry. That 
is how we are able to do what we are doing in the city of Detroit, and 
we will continue to do so.
  We need the Federal Government to cut the red tape. There is too much 
red tape here. We have an emergency. We have put out $10.5 billion, 
which has been passed by both Houses of Congress. I am told today that 
Halliburton got $500 million of that already in a no-bid contract to 
help in New Orleans, to relieve the streets of its water. I wonder why 
we could not find others. At the same time, I have families who have 
been stopped from getting the food and nutrition that they need.
  FEMA must develop a plan. I, too, call for the firing of Mr. Brown, 
the FEMA director with no emergency management experience, as well as 
his deputy, a friend of the President's, with no emergency management 
experience. We need real professionals in this time of need. The CBC 
stands ready, our Congressional Black Caucus, to do what we must do, 
and we will be visiting the stricken area soon now.
  I was in an appropriation hearing today where we discussed the tens 
of billions of dollars, over $250 billion, that is being spent in the 
reconstruction of Iraq. Must we be there? Maybe. But should we take 
care of America's people? We must. So I call upon this Congress and the 
President to work together to make sure that American people are taken 
care of.
  I witnessed this morning on a morning show a family with the last 
name of Allen, a wife whose husband works for the housing department in 
Louisiana, who stayed in Louisiana to help the people who were left 
there. The wife and one of the sons were evacuated. This family has a 
son fighting for this country in Iraq.
  So, you see, they are American citizens, many who have been evacuated 
because of a national disaster. We owe them. They pay taxes. The 
seniors, the frail, they built this country. We owe them.
  Let us rise up, America. This Congress can do better and we will do 
better, because we cannot let them down.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from Chicago, Illinois (Mr. Rush).
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi for 
yielding to me, and I want him to know that he and the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis) 
are an inspiration to many of us. Your courage, your commitment, and 
the leadership that you have displayed over these trying times, not 
only to those who reside in your districts but also to the American 
people in general have not gone unnoticed.
  The Bible says, ``When the righteous are in authority, the people 
rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.'' Mr. Speaker, 
when I think of the devastating effects of the failed rapid response of 
the Federal Government to Hurricane Katrina, I cannot help but wonder 
about the value of some life, some human life in this country, 
particularly the lives of the poor, the powerless, and the black.
  Along with the rest of the world, I have been outraged by the less-
than-rapid response, of the inaction, of the lack of attention and the 
lack of providing aid to the thousands of individuals who were left to 
die and fend for themselves in the aftermath of the worst natural 
disaster in American history. Those who did not die were subject to the 
most dehumanizing conditions, the demoralizing squalor in the Superdome 
and other relief centers in New Orleans has been compared to the 
conditions in the hulls of slave cargo ships.

                              {time}  1815

  I might add, this is not a far-fetched and extreme exaggeration.
  Hurricane Katrina is an example of how the Federal Government failed. 
It is an example of a complete breakdown when responding to those in 
need of critical help. In times of national crisis, the cries of 
mothers, fathers and families from Louisiana and Mississippi and 
Alabama went unheard.
  I serve on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and today our 
committee held a hearing on price gouging at America's pumps. But my 
immediate concerns are on the price of human suffering being paid by 
the most vulnerable in our society.
  New Orleans is going through a full-blown public health crisis, 
Mississippi is going through a full-blown public health crisis, and so 
is Alabama; and they are all suffering from the debilitating 
environmental conditions caused by Hurricane Katrina and by human 
malfeasance.
  In addition to examining the incompetence and indifference of FEMA, 
the National Guard, and, I might add, the American Red Cross in their 
responding to this catastrophe, this Congress needs to address 
immediate and emergency concerns, including the purification of the 
drinking water and the abatement of dreaded diseases such as e-coli, 
hepatitis A, cholera, West Nile and other mosquito and waterborne 
diseases. Clearly, the public health concerns of this Nation and 
particularly the Gulf Coast region are of paramount importance.
  I might also quickly note that we should sharply increase funding for 
the LIHEAP program, so that we can address the rising cost of heating 
oil during the upcoming winter months.
  Lastly, we must examine and address the psychological scars that 
people have suffered from this terrible tragedy. We cannot 
underestimate the wounds that lie deeply in the psychology of the 
victims of Hurricane Katrina. The week-long conditions

[[Page 19685]]

under which many of them toiled are unimaginable.
  In this regard, we must especially be sensitive to the psychological 
needs of the children. Children may have suffered trauma that will stay 
with them for the rest of their lives. It is important that this 
Congress provide comprehensive mental health services to the children 
and to all of the evacuees.
  It is now time for this Congress to acknowledge that there is 
widespread poverty in this Nation. It is now time for this Congress to 
also acknowledge the role that poverty played in the paucity of the 
Federal response during this national crisis.
  Mr. Speaker, I also join with my colleagues in saying down with 
Michael Brown. Down with Michael Brown.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from Alabama (Mr. Davis), another Member of this body that was also 
affected by Hurricane Katrina.
  Mr. DAVIS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) for yielding. I certainly thank all of my 
colleagues in this Chamber who have expressed solicitude to me. But, 
frankly, that solicitude is better spent on my colleagues from 
Mississippi and Louisiana. My State of Alabama was gratuitously spared 
virtually all of this damage. There are certainly people in my State 
who lost power, there are people in my State who were hurt. But God did 
not create all suffering on the same scale, and I know the difference 
between what has happened in my State and what has happened to my 
colleagues.
  I am very proud of the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), I 
am very proud of the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) for all 
of the work that they do in this Congress, but particularly for their 
fortitude in the last week, because, Mr. Speaker, we have been able to 
sit at these things from a distance. We have been able to talk as 
compassionate people about these losses.
  The gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) have the very hard work of going into their 
communities and talking to people who are in pain and saying, ``I will 
use my power to try to help you,'' and seeing the tears in response. So 
it is they who very much deserve our solicitude tonight, and I am proud 
to serve with them.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to make three points that I think are related. 
The first one is this:
  So many of the people who died, and we understand that the numbers of 
the dead will likely exceed 10,000, the largest single disaster in 
American history, so many of the ones who died had lives that do not 
put them on the front page of the newspaper. They had lives that were 
relatively anonymous. They were hard-working people, trying to make it 
through their lot in life, and all of a sudden they were cut down in 
blameless circumstances.
  The challenge of leadership though is to give an honor and a place to 
those who die in tragic circumstances. The challenge of real leadership 
is to lift the anonymity and to put an honor on the table.
  One of the things that I wish we would see in this Chamber, Mr. 
Speaker, is for the President of the United States to do what he did 
the last time our country was seared, to come and gather the House and 
Senate together in this body, to address the Nation and the Congress, 
and to paint a vision of how we can do better next time and a vision of 
how we can rebuild these people.
  I would love to see the President go to the National Cathedral, a 
place he went 4 days after September 11, because when he went to the 
National Cathedral, he gave an honor to those victims and lifted them 
up to a certain place of honor. I would love to see that done for the 
people in your State of Mississippi and the people in the great State 
of Louisiana.
  We cannot let the anonymity that lingered over the lives of these 
people mask the honor of their death, because the honor of their death 
is this: They were innocent, hard-working Americans who lost their 
lives in part because of nature, but in part because of the errors of 
our government. And it is that second point that I want to turn to 
tonight.
  The country needs this President to admit that his government failed; 
the country needs this President to come here and say that the standard 
that was set by FEMA last week is one that was unacceptable for the 
people of Mississippi and Louisiana; and the country needs this 
President to name this as the disaster that it was. I cannot say it 
nearly as eloquently as our friend and colleague the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Lewis), but our country is embarrassed when we have power 
and do not use it intelligently and effectively. Our country is 
embarrassed when we have the means, the capacity and the ability to 
know what was happening last week, and still fail to adequately respond 
to it.
  I have heard some of my friends and colleagues on the other side of 
the aisle say that they were pleased and satisfied and thankful for the 
job that happened last week, and I would simply differ with them in 
this one sense: Can we truly be pleased with the lack of response, the 
constant underestimation, the constant miscalculation? Because if we 
are pleased with that and we consider that to be good work, our 
standard is far too low.
  The final point that I want to make, I say to the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), is one that perhaps should be more obvious 
to us. The fissures that already exist in our society become even more 
painful and more acute when there are stresses in our society. Last 
week, as so many people in this Chamber have said so well, the people 
who were left in the Superdome, the people not evacuated in time, so 
many are the people we often do not see. And we owe this next quote to 
Mr. Brown, the head of FEMA. Mr. Brown said that we learned that there 
were people that we did not even know existed.
  Mr. Brown did not mean to be profound when he said that, but he was 
unintentionally so, because we did learn and his administration did 
learn last week that there are people that they did not know existed, 
who live in the cracks and fissures in our society. And that ought to 
pain us.
  The last point that I want to make, and it is the point I would hang 
over this Chamber as we think over this next several weeks: We owe 
people in this country a better place than the margins of life. There 
are people who, because of their own faults and their own demerits, end 
up in a particular place. We understand that. We know that. The Bible 
tells us that. But we ought to be strong enough and bold enough as a 
country to not let people who are trying to live their lives fall into 
the margins because we do not care enough to build a net around them. 
The absence of a net in New Orleans, the absence of a net in 
Mississippi, the absence of a safety net in much of the South, was laid 
bare last week, and we ought to be moved by that.
  I will not cheapen this tragedy by saying there is a silver lining in 
it. Too many people died for that. But I will say that I hope that we 
draw some inspiration. I hope that as we go about fashioning a strategy 
for relief, that we fashion a strategy for relief that can lift up the 
weakest of these people and the least of them in an economic sense.
  But I hope as we move past Hurricane Katrina, and, frankly most of us 
in this Chamber will find a way to do that, it is the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. 
Jefferson) who will continue to you live with it, but for a lot of the 
people in this Chamber, we will be able to move past this. We will be 
on to the next crisis of the month or the next political cause of the 
month.
  But I hope as we move on, we carry this lesson with us, we carry this 
notion that if we are a just country, we cannot be a country where 
being left behind and being left out has the consequences that happened 
in the gentlemen's State of Mississippi and in Louisiana last week. If 
we are to be the country that we say we are, we have to do better by 
all of our people.
  The final point before I yield back my time, I turn once again to the

[[Page 19686]]

President and his leadership. This President would not serve himself or 
our country well if this is turned into an attack on the mayor of New 
Orleans or the governor of Louisiana. This is not the time to make 
false comparisons and to wonder whether the governor and the mayor did 
not do this or did not do that, because there is something we ought to 
understand: The governor and the mayor lived in the midst of a crisis.
  The people who sat comfortably in this city last week were removed 
from that crisis. They were in a position and had the level head to do 
better, and they came up with the sea of incompetence that we saw. So 
how dare we look at the mayor and the governor sitting among their 
people in the midst of all of this and blame them, when people sat in 
this city far removed from the danger and could not do better?
  Mr. Speaker, again I thank the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. 
Thompson) for his leadership, and I hope that his constituents, and 
know that his constituents, appreciate it. I thank the gentleman for 
his work as the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security, 
because it ought to be said, What is the measure of homeland security 
if we cannot find a way to secure our own people in the midst of 
danger?
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very 
much.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in expressing my 
heartfelt sympathy to all of the victims of Hurricane Katrina and their 
families. Our thoughts and prayers remain with them as they cope with 
the aftermath of this enormous tragedy. We stand in solidarity with our 
brothers, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), the gentleman 
from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. 
Davis).
  My home State of New Jersey has responded by deploying police 
officers, firefighters and decontamination personnel from around our 
State to aid relief efforts in the City of New Orleans. I commend 
Governor Codey of New Jersey for his leadership in responding to the 
needs of those affected by the catastrophic conditions in New Orleans 
and the surrounding areas.
  In addition, Continental Airlines, which has a hub in my home city of 
Newark, is participating in Operation Air Care to provide emergency 
airlift to more than 25,000 New Orleans residents stranded by Hurricane 
Katrina. I appreciate the efforts.
  Many of our local churches in my congressional district have taken 
the lead in organizing relief efforts to collect clothing, food and 
money to help hurricane victims. Over the past weekend I met with 
Reverend Raymond Jefferson of Metropolitan Baptist Church, originally 
from Louisiana, who is organizing a comprehensive statewide relief. 
Just last night he convened a meeting of concerned community leaders 
and is working tirelessly to bring refugee relief to the hurricane 
victims.
  My office received a call from a family of 11, who needed assistance, 
coming up from Louisiana, and we were able to locate housing for them. 
Then we went to Reverend William Howard's church, Bethany Baptist 
Church in Newark, to help provide additional social services, including 
medical attention, preschool for the youngsters, as well as schooling 
for high school and college students, and Social Security for the 
elderly. It is really a complicated system, and everybody needs to be 
involved.
  While Reverend Howard and I were meeting with the family at the 
church, we received a call that the grandfather of the family who had 
been missing was located at a hospital in New Orleans. This was a great 
feeling.
  Reverend Joe Carter of New Hope Baptist Church started a fund-raising 
drive on Sunday and will meet with the pastor from New Orleans tonight 
in Atlanta at a meeting of the National Baptist Convention. So everyone 
is doing their own thing, collectively.
  Let me conclude by saying, unfortunately, much of the devastation 
caused by Hurricane Katrina could have been mitigated if President Bush 
and his director of Federal Emergency Management Agency had shown real 
leadership by responding swiftly and completely to the warning before 
Katrina hit the gulf coast. Instead, they seem to be in denial about 
their woeful and inadequate response, even to the point of blaming the 
victims.

                              {time}  2030

  FEMA Director Michael Brown coldly made the statement that those 
behind had failed to heed the advance warnings and thus were basically 
responsible for their own misfortune. It apparently never occurred to 
him that not everyone had the resources to drive or fly out of the city 
before the hurricane struck.
  Today's Washington Post reported that offers of assistance from other 
countries were ignored for days after the tragedy. An executive with a 
telecommunications company based in the Netherlands expressed his 
frustration with these words: ``FEMA? That was a lost case. We got zero 
help. We lost one week trying to get things so that we could move 
forward.''
  I serve as one of two congressional delegates to the United Nations, 
and it is going to be embarrassing for me next week to be with our 
allies from around the world who offered assistance which was turned 
down.
  Let me conclude by saying I received a call from Rome today, and they 
said they were shocked at the abject poverty in the United States. They 
did not realize that there was so much poverty in this country. And 
even The Washington Post referred to people as refugees. By 
international law, if they looked it up, one cannot be a refugee in 
one's own country. Disgraceful, wrong, and that is what the W in George 
W. stands for. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
  Mr. Speaker, we often hear it said from this administration that this 
government should be run like a private business. I would like to ask 
the Members what business would ever think about retaining an employee 
who performed as dismally as Mr. Brown did, completely failing to 
fulfill his responsibilities at a time of crisis?
  I was also shocked to hear statements made by others that many of the 
victims are better off in the shelters in Houston because they were 
underprivileged anyway. It was said by a very prominent American. 
Unbelievable. To suggest that it does not matter if poor people lose 
the roof over their heads and all of their possessions, lose loved ones 
and have their families separated seems to me to be the height of 
insensitivity on the part of the overprivileged.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that we will have a thorough investigation into 
the failings of our government to respond to this cataclysmic event and 
the consequences it had on all victims and disproportionately on 
victims and people of color. We are the United States of America, and 
we certainly can do better.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
his comments.
  I now yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-
McDonald).
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, my prayers and my heart go out 
to those who have been displaced and the families that have been 
disrupted by this devastation. I stand firmly with my brothers, the 
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) and, most importantly, New 
Orleans; the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson); and the 
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis) while they meet the challenges ahead 
and while they grapple with this devastation.
  Hurricane Katrina is turning out to be the worst human catastrophe in 
America's history, far surpassing Hurricane Camille and the 1906 San 
Francisco earthquake in its destructive and deadly impact.
  At this time I would like to thank all Californians for their 
generosity and outpouring of donations, food, clothing, and opening 
their homes to the families and to our families of this gulf coast 
area. My district has a hurricane disaster relief effort, and we are 
getting big-rig trucks that are taking all of this to those ravaged 
areas, and we thank my church that raised over

[[Page 19687]]

$100,000 on Sunday, Second Baptist Church, Dr. William Epps, in 
providing donations to the region.
  The flooding and physical destruction of New Orleans, a truly 
historic American city, coupled with the complete destruction of 
families, homes, businesses, roads, and bridges along this 120 miles of 
Louisiana and Mississippi coastline presents a humanitarian challenge 
of unprecedented proportions with consequences that will be felt for 
years to come by those who lost loved ones, jobs, homes, and any sense 
of comfort and security. And the reality of our government's failure 
thus far to deal adequately with the tragedy that has occurred in New 
Orleans and along the gulf coast deepens each day.
  While Hurricane Katrina could not have been prevented, it is now 
clear that the flooding of New Orleans that followed Katrina would not 
have been so devastating if the levees had been rebuilt and the 
wetlands had not been taken away.
  For years the Federal Government had not provided the critical 
funding that would have made possible the building of sound 
infrastructure that would have protected New Orleans from this assault 
that has come to the great people of this great city.
  Our figure says it all. It would have cost only $2.5 billion to build 
storm defenses around New Orleans capable of resisting a Category 5 
hurricane. Katrina was an upper Category 4 hurricane. Nothing about New 
Orleans in this situation is new. Its vulnerability has been known for 
decades. This government knew that, yet nothing was done to protect the 
city and the surrounding communities.
  FEMA, supposedly given a high priority for funding in the wake of 9/
11, was not visible in the first days following this hurricane. We saw 
and heard evidence of the lifesaving work of countless private 
organizations like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army; yet this FEMA 
was not seen or heard of. In other words, we did not know what they 
were doing.
  And in the days after Katrina hit the gulf coast, we have now learned 
that in many cases, FEMA was actually an impediment to the ongoing 
rescue and recovery efforts attempted by State and local officials. I 
am certain that in the months ahead we will see that FEMA's slow 
response to this terrible disaster needlessly resulted in the loss of 
hundreds, maybe thousands, of additional deaths and injuries. Why did 
this happen in the most powerful country in this world? This question 
begs for real answers.
  Finally, there is a much more profound American problem that this 
disaster has illuminated, and that is the fact that the victims of the 
flooding in New Orleans have been, for the most part, African Americans 
and poor. The lowest lying areas of New Orleans, the most vulnerable to 
flooding, were inhabited by the city's most vulnerable people. 
Tragically, these victims, many of whom are children, the elderly, and 
the disabled, could have been spared much of the pain and massive 
destruction that was caused by Katrina if only their safety had been 
our government's priority. Instead, they were essentially left to fend 
for themselves with even more tragic consequences.
  How could this happen, Mr. Speaker, in the world's most powerful and 
wealthiest country? Clearly, it was not due to a lack of resources; 
but, rather, it was the result of our Homeland Security and this 
administration whose priorities did not include assisting the most 
vulnerable and needy of our society.
  One of the first questions that we will need answers for after the 
rescue and recovery efforts are completed is what will happen to New 
Orleans? And these questions should be answered by Congress and the 
administration.
  What will happen to New Orleans?
  I will say this: we must have a plan for rebuilding New Orleans and 
the surrounding gulf coast communities, and we must have it soon. The 
people of New Orleans and the surrounding gulf coast communities cannot 
wait too long for solutions to this immediate crisis they now face. Mr. 
Speaker, we must act now. The people of New Orleans and the people of 
this country are waiting.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for 
her comments.
  Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands 
(Mrs. Christensen).
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to 
me.
  Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in extending my sympathy and that 
of the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands to the people of Louisiana, 
Mississippi, and Alabama who have suffered great losses and continue to 
suffer from the impact of Hurricane Katrina on their lives. They are 
very fortunate to be represented by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. 
Thompson), the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), and the 
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis).
  I am proud to say that we, who know the fury of these storms, have 
many who are working in the affected and host communities, that our 
hotel association and countless individuals and businesses have 
contributed close to $200,000 and that number continues to climb, that 
our National Guard sent many of our able troops to this vital effort, 
and our university has opened its doors to displaced students.
  After 9/11, it was clear that we needed to become not just a stronger 
America but a better America, one where everyone was treated with 
dignity, fairness, justice, and compassion. Our leaders, though, urged 
us to go back to normal, and that was clearly not good enough. Despite 
the generosity of many good people, we have witnessed what has become 
normal for far too many in this country: for the poor, the rural, and 
people of color.
  What happened in Alabama, Mississippi, and especially in Louisiana, 
the extent to which we have not yet seen, brings the issue of health 
and socioeconomic disparities into stark focus. Based on what is 
estimated, Katrina's toll will add more than 12,000 preventable, 
premature deaths to the close to 100,000 we African Americans 
experience every year.
  I am greatly concerned about all that has to be done now and for 
recovery and reconstruction; but as a physician, the health care 
challenges that are immediately upon us trouble me most. I am concerned 
because as a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, along with 
the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), we have been issuing 
repeated calls for repairing and strengthening our public health system 
especially in our poor, minority, and rural communities. Calls that 
went unheeded.
  I am concerned because we knew from a New York Academy of Medicine 
study that people would need more help and information to respond as 
instructed. I am concerned because another report on national health 
disparities will be released this week which will again tell us that 
disparities are widespread and due to persistent and institutional 
racial and ethnic discrimination and the socioeconomic problems they 
spawn in communities of color.
  And so in the affected areas we have worsening chronic disease, 
diabetics without insulin for far too long, HIV/AIDS patients without 
medication, and babies without the proper feeding. Crowding and poor 
sanitation will increase infectious diseases, and we will have mental 
health problems now and for a long time to come. In this area the lack 
of the culturally competent providers we have long pressed for will be 
acutely felt.
  No planning in Iraq, no planning here; yet another crisis has been 
allowed to develop. The President has not only to own up to the 
inadequacy of the preparedness and response, but he must also not cover 
it up. He has to work with us to correct it.
  Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity that the CBC will lead to make 
this right, to still become a better America. We can do it if we invest 
in our people and our country instead of giving tax cuts to the 
wealthiest Americans. We can do it if we improve Medicaid, not cut it; 
if we restore proposed cuts to food stamps, WIC, public housing, small 
business programs, education, and all of the health care programs

[[Page 19688]]

that improve the health services and health status for all of us who 
live here.
  We can do it if we do everything that is needed to bring the 
destroyed places back and the displaced back home; if we strengthen the 
infrastructure in New Orleans and all around this country and in doing 
so create jobs and economic opportunity for all. We can do it, and in 
this time of great tragedy and distress, the time that usually brings 
people together, my prayer is that we will; and I call on all of our 
colleagues to support this effort.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for 
her comments.
  Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott).
  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) for yielding to me, and again I concur with 
all of our colleagues in expressing our partnership, our involvement, 
our support of the gentleman from Mississippi, the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Davis), and certainly the gentleman from New Orleans and 
Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson).
  I want to start out by certainly illustrating an opportunity that our 
President has to truly lead here. We know that there has been a failure 
in national leadership. We have talked about that. We have criticized 
that. But we are going forward now, and there are some important points 
that need to be made, and I want to appeal to our President because I 
think he has an excellent opportunity to make up some lost ground on 
regaining the position of national leadership on this issue because it 
is not too late because we have got to move forward.
  And I think one of the first orders of business, Mr. Speaker, is that 
the President would reach out to the African American Members of 
Congress. We are the duly elected representatives who need to be 
involved in every critical process going forward. We all know the faces 
on the television cameras. The majority of the victims were African 
Americans and poor. We know that race and poverty and class play a part 
in this. Who better to make sure that this Nation is sensitive to that 
important fact?

                              {time}  2045

  It is not something to be brushed under the rug; it is something to 
be lifted up. For if it is true, there will be more than 10,000 or 
12,000 individuals left, and as the water recedes in New Orleans, we 
owe it to those who have lost their lives, who because they were poor 
did not have a way to get out. And many in this Nation feel that our 
national leadership failed them.
  Now is the time to pick up from there, and the first order of 
business would be to reach out to members of this Congressional Black 
Caucus and make sure that members of the Congressional Black Caucus are 
active in the investigation committees going forward, to make sure we 
are there to ask the right questions, to get the right answers, and 
there will be credibility going forward.
  It is important for members of the Congressional Black Caucus to be 
on the spending committees. So far, there has been $10.5 billion put 
forward. There is another $50.5 billion that will be put forward later 
this week, possibly tomorrow. We must be at the table. We must help to 
decide where that money is going.
  And then, Mr. President, here is a sterling opportunity to lead. It 
is going to take at least $250 billion or $300 billion, by all of the 
estimates that we have examined, and I have been on the phone to 
Harvard economists and others who have said that it is going to take at 
least $300 billion. We need a huge investment in New Orleans, in 
Louisiana. We need something there that will attract people to come 
back to New Orleans. One of the sad things I heard so many people 
saying is, I am going from New Orleans, I am not coming back to New 
Orleans. Fats Domino said it well: ``I am walking to New Orleans.''
  All of us need to walk back to New Orleans. We need people coming 
from everywhere to walk back to New Orleans so New Orleans does not 
lose a beat; and in order to do that, we have to put a sizable 
investment in New Orleans. $200 billion, $300 billion, I do not know 
the figure, but it is certainly more than 50, certainly more than 100. 
I would think $300 billion. And we have to think that way. That is what 
it takes for public works and transportation.
  Then we need to determine, what do the victims need to rebuild their 
identity. They have no license, they have no addresses, they have no 
money; and where can they get immediate financial help? We have an 
excellent opportunity for leadership. I look forward to doing it, as do 
all of us here in the Congressional Black Caucus. This needs to be a 
partnership and a two-way street, and we look forward to working to 
make this a positive out of a negative.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Mississippi 
for yielding, and also to the gentleman from Louisiana, I want to thank 
him for his leadership and his hard work 
24/7 in helping communities, your communities, work through this 
devastation, and also in leading this Congress in an effective 
response. We stand with the gentleman from Louisiana. Our constituents 
extend their desire to help in whatever way possible and to help in a 
very real way.
  Mr. Speaker, I said earlier, and I have to say this again, that the 
world is watching. The world is watching as our Nation has been 
exposed. If anyone has ever doubted that there are two Americas, 
Hurricane Katrina and our government's shameful response have made this 
division very clear.
  New Orleans is a city where 65 percent of the population was black. 
Nearly 30 percent, or one in three, were living below the poverty line. 
Twenty-one percent of the households earned less than $10,000 a year. 
Eighty-four percent of the people living in poverty in New Orleans were 
black. People died because they were poor and black and young and old 
and disabled. The incompetence and the indifference demonstrated by 
this administration in responding to this tragedy was really quite 
shocking, but it was not surprising.
  For some of us, however, this is an America that we know very well. 
It is an America that has often been swept under the rug by lawmakers 
and the media. This is the America that many of us know, and that is 
why the Congressional Black Caucus and so many in this House fight each 
and every day against these obscene tax cuts for the wealthy, and 
Medicaid and housing and health care budget cuts.
  This is the America that I know, and this is why I have said over and 
over again that the war against Iraq, based on distortions and false 
information, did not have to be fought. We did not have to spend over 
$300 billion and deplete the resources that could have gone to domestic 
security, economic security, and taken care of our people right here at 
home.
  Each and every Member of Congress should be frightened to death, 
seeing the lack of preparedness and the unacceptably slow and deadly 
response by our government. People died who would not have died if our 
government had responded quickly and efficiently. This is a crime.
  Each and every Member of Congress has had a glimpse of what could 
happen in their districts should a natural disaster or, God forbid, a 
terrorist attack occur in the future.
  Now Americans have risen to the occasion and asked what they could do 
to help. And after listening to a very disappointing briefing by 
Cabinet Members and, however, listening to Members of Congress from 
affected districts who, in spite of the odds, again have been 
responding around the clock to the survivors of this devastation in 
heroic ways, I have a few thoughts that I think we should do 
immediately.
  Well, of course, we must recognize, first of all, and thank 
individuals and organizations who have continued with monetary 
donations and also providing donations of medicine, clothing, bedding, 
and hygiene articles. But do my colleagues know what? The Federal 
Government must step up to the plate and lead this effort. We must help 
find

[[Page 19689]]

temporary transitional housing so that people can live with dignity and 
respect until they can return home.
  And we must insist that the Red Cross hire staff, and many of us have 
had experience working with the Red Cross; they need to hire staff and 
volunteers who reflect the populations that they serve, such as African 
Americans and Latino volunteers and staff. They should be brought in.
  Mental health professionals should also be sensitive to, and they 
should be of, the diversity of the affected populations and understand 
the cultural background of those who have been traumatized. And they 
should understand, quite frankly, that they just left a war zone, and 
post-traumatic stress syndrome will be setting in. And we must insist 
that the rebuilding process takes into account the populations who have 
been displaced. Developers should not just come in and create a city 
where no one can afford to return home. There must be affordable 
housing and good-paying jobs for those survivors of this devastation.
  Also, we must ensure that survivors' losses are not compounded by 
financial institutions. Credit card late fees and penalties and 
mortgages, all of these issues must be addressed, and we must make sure 
that our Americans are protected from predatory lenders at this time of 
extreme need.
  Let me just say, quite frankly, we must not allow military recruiters 
to take advantage of the misfortune of hurricane survivors. They should 
not be allowed to access temporary housing and shelters to recruit the 
destitute and the vulnerable. As the proud daughter of a 25-year career 
military officer, I honor and thank our service men and women for their 
bravery and service, but I do not believe that recruiting traumatized 
survivors of this hurricane is the right thing to do.
  The world is watching, and I thank the gentleman from Mississippi 
(Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) for 
leading the way.


                             General Leave

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks on the subject of this special order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Mississippi?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from Houston, Texas (Mr. Green).
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Mississippi. I would like to extend my sympathies to all of the persons 
who have suffered.
  Mr. Speaker, I am not asking for help for the survivors because they 
are black, of the black race; I am not asking that they be helped 
because some of them are of the white race. I am asking for help 
because they are all of the human race, and that is the race that 
counts.
  I believe, Mr. Speaker, that we must do something that is critical: 
We must not continue to call them refugees. Because, Mr. Speaker, these 
are tax-paying Americans. They have earned the right to be called 
American citizens who are in need of our help. So I beg today that we 
extend the hand of friendship and that this Congress spend whatever is 
necessary to restore their lives.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues know, this 
is a Congressional Black Caucus hour. We wanted to talk about Hurricane 
Katrina and its impact on our Member districts. What I would like to do 
is offer the balance of my time to the gentleman from New Orleans, 
Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson).
  Mr. JEFFERSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi 
for his expert handling of this hour to help to bring to the attention 
of the American people the particular plight of African Americans, the 
particular plight of people who are impoverished, the particular plight 
of disadvantaged citizens who have been afflicted by this storm, and 
the hope and promise that our Nation holds for them and for my great 
city of New Orleans and the gulf coast region. I want to thank the 
gentleman for his attention to this matter, and I thank my colleagues 
for joining us in this very special and important hour.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, while there has been much 
devastation brought upon the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina, I hope 
that apart from its devastation, we can say that Hurricane Katrina 
brought to light some of the atrocities that have been going on for 
years such as the poverty crisis in this country.
  For far too long, we as a nation have neglected the underprivileged 
of this country. We are quick to criticize other countries for not 
taking care of their own, however, we have all but forgotten the poor 
in our own country.
  A recent study by the Population Reference Bureau noted that Orleans 
Parish, Louisiana and Harrison County, Mississippi, the counties that 
are home to New Orleans and Biloxi respectively, had median household 
incomes of just $31,369, 44 percent below that of the national average 
of $44,684.
  Additionally, 23.2 percent of the people in Orleans Parish and 14.6 
percent of the people of Harrison County are below the poverty rate. 
Disproportionate rates of those people are African American. A whopping 
35 percent in Orleans Parish and 27.4 percent in Harrison County.
  High proportions of elderly residents of the Gulf Coast have 
disabilities as well. In New Orleans alone, 56.4 percent or 28,195 
elderly resident have disabilities, compared to the national average of 
39.6 percent.
  About 9 percent of households in New Orleans did not even have a 
vehicle available to escape the storm. And for those who did have 
transportation, add to that the steadily rising gas prices which now 
exceed $3.20.
  This is simply unacceptable. The world is watching. And they are 
waiting to see if we are going to do right by our own citizens. If we 
will pull together to do what is right. We can send massive amounts of 
aid to tsunami victims, but we can't bail out the Gulf Coast. We fight 
for democracy across the globe, but when our own needed help we were 
slow to respond.
  There is a gospel song that says, ``Sweep around your own front 
door.'' Today, I say America it is time for us to sweep around our own 
front doors. We can no longer put on blinders to the poverty crisis 
that is now staring us in our face.
  We must work within this Congress to put in place legislation that 
will help these victims not just over the next few months, but for 
years, because that is how long it will take for us to heal from this 
natural disaster.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
address the ongoing crisis for those who have evacuated Louisiana, 
Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, and to recognize the extraordinary 
efforts of Texans. And in particular residents of Dallas.
  For the people along the Gulf Coast, I wish to express my deepest 
condolences.
  This devastation has cost many individuals their homes, jobs, 
belongings, and worst of all their lives.
  Almost a quarter million evacuees have traveled to Texas. Seventeen 
thousand of which have come to Dallas. This is an extremely traumatic 
situation. Many of these individuals are looking for missing family and 
friends. Most do not know if or when they will be able to return home.
  The one bright spot is the thousands of Americans who have opened 
their hearts to volunteer time and money. I truly believe it is the 
personal efforts that make the greatest impact.
  During this time of tragedy many heroes have emerged. Local 
residents, churches, and businesses in Dallas have overwhelmingly 
offered assistance.
  The efforts of those who are volunteering their time at Dallas area 
shelters have made an immeasurable impact. In addition, many Texans 
have offered jobs or opened their homes to evacuated families.
  I know that the generous spirit of Texans and of all Americans will 
help to aid this transition. When these dislocated people return to 
their communities, immediate economic opportunities should be given to 
them first so they can rebuild.
  Mr. Speaker, we now look towards this Administration to exhibit the 
same type of sacrifice and humanity that countless Americans and 
charities have displayed.
  I question those policies that stretched those National Guard units 
that could have rendered more immediate aid in New Orleans and 
elsewhere. First responders have not been given the tools they need. 
And this Administration drastically underfunded the Army Corps of 
Engineers, who are responsible for maintaining the levees surrounding 
New Orleans.

[[Page 19690]]

  It is time to acknowledge our dependence on fossil fuels--whether 
foreign or domestic--which set the stage for further economic 
displacement ahead.
  It is neither premature nor unpatriotic to raise questions as the 
federal government recovers its footing after an initially dismal 
performance. The point is that even though the government is now 
showing signs of progress, much work remains.
  I can assure the Administration we, as Members of CSC, will do our 
best to work with them towards fulfilling our commitment to the 
American citizens.
  I will be offering a comprehensive education appropriations bill 
along with Congressman Hinojosa. There are currently 160,000 displaced 
students as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The Texas Education Agency 
predicts that as many as 70,000 displaced students will enter Texas 
schools this year.
  This bill sets up a $500 million fund for displaced students within 
the Department of Education. From this fund, states will receive $3,000 
for each displaced student that enters their school systems. This money 
will provide funding for additional classrooms, teachers, books, and 
supplies. These young people have been through a traumatic experience 
and providing a safe stable school environment is vital.
  I will also introduce a bill that would call on the Department of 
Health and Human Services to ensure that the displaced survivors of 
Hurricane Katrina and first responders receive the mental health 
services they need.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, think of the incredible stress these 
people are experiencing. There is anxiety. There is depression. There 
is a sense of hopelessness.
  I am a former nurse, and I worked in the mental health sector. I feel 
strongly that these displaced individuals, many of whom are left with 
nothing, desperately need mental health services to address the trauma 
they have endured.
  This bill will call upon Health and Human Services and the Department 
of Justice to address those needs. Mental health should not be 
forgotten.
  Mr. Speaker, the Federal Emergency response to this calamity was 
disappointing. When I visited my District in Dallas and saw the 
suffering of many displaced individuals, I was struck at how far-
reaching and long-term these issues will be. Let us make good 
legislative decisions to help them in the best way possible.
  Mr. JEFFERSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________