[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 19737]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         STOP POINTING FINGERS

  (Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, soon after the country became aware of the 
devastation that Katrina caused on the Gulf Coast, the personal attacks 
on our Nation's leaders began. We have heard constant criticism of the 
Federal Government for the past week, and we need to get past pointing 
fingers.
  The fact of the matter is that progress is being made. We know that. 
More than 45,000 lives have been saved, including over 23,000 saved by 
the U.S. Coast Guard alone. Over 273,000 citizens have been evacuated. 
Nearly 600 shelters have been established, housing 182,000 people, and 
more than 71,000 personnel are on the ground who have helped deliver 
more than 11 million meals and 18 million liters of water.
  We are making progress, but the task is not over. Water is being 
pumped out of the city, and the evacuation of New Orleans is almost 
complete. Our personnel are working 20-hour days to ensure that every 
person is safe and sound.
  The bottom line, Mr. Speaker, is that while some people choose to 
point fingers, America is doing what it does best: coming together for 
one another and helping each other during times of disaster.

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