[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 19954-19955]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           BUSH POLICIES CONTRIBUTE TO HURRICANE CATASTROPHE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 8, 2005

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to outline how President Bush's 
policies contribute to the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe that took 
place in the Gulf Coast area of our nation. Just as in Iraq, the 
President's policies and unbelievable mismanagement on the domestic 
front have brought pain and suffering to American people.
  Thousands of people may have been killed by Hurricane Katrina and 
many more could die in its aftermath because of the President's refusal 
to heed the calls of the governors for help in repairing the 
infrastructure in their states. In Louisiana, everybody knew that the 
levees that hold back flood waters were in disrepair. But instead of 
listening to the governors, the President cut funding for this purpose. 
Again and again vital domestic priorities have been sacrificed in order 
to pay for the occupation and rebuilding of Iraq, and these choices are 
now being revealed as harmful to our nation and people.
  In addition to depriving the affecting areas of the funding that 
would have enabled them to prepare for Hurricane Katrina. The 
President's commitment to Iraq has impaired the response to the crisis. 
It is this commitment that has contributed to the slow response of 
federal troops who should have been on alert before the hurricane 
struck. Now, as bedlam reigns in New Orleans, 35 percent of Louisiana's 
and 37 percent of Mississippi's National Guard troops are in Iraq. The 
hurricane is clear evidence of how the war directly affects the 
domestic security of our country.
  The President is destroying the fabric of America with a combined 
policy of war, tax cuts for the wealthy, and reductions in spending for 
domestic needs. These policies are supported by the Republican-
dominated Congress. Even so, it was shocking to read reports that 
Dennis Hastert, the Speaker of the House, said that rebuilding New 
Orleans made no sense to him.
  The President's policies have not only made us less secure, they have 
widened the chasm between the well-to-do and the poor. The people who 
couldn't get out of New Orleans to escape the storm were predominantly 
Black and poor. They stayed behind not because they wanted to risk the 
danger of the hurricane, but because they don't have cars or any other 
means of escape. No one is even talking about the poor in more rural 
areas--Blacks and Whites--who have not even been reached by rescue 
teams.
  President Bush has tried to turn this tragedy into a political 
victory by flying in on a helicopter to examine the damage. But he is 
in store for more genuine outrage resulting from his failed policy in 
Iraq and the anger of the U.S. governors whose constituents are paying 
the price for the domestic policies of the ``war president''.
  Please find below my letter to President Bush about the Federal 
Government's response to Hurricane Katrina.

                                                September 2, 2005.
     President George W. Bush,
     The White House,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear President Bush: I am writing to strongly urge you to 
     use your power and leadership to provide the most aggressive 
     possible response to the humanitarian crisis taking place in 
     Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The response so far has 
     been unsatisfactory.
       Food, water, medicine and emergency housing is in critical 
     need. In addition, with the crisis seemingly affecting poor 
     people most, arrangements should be made for emergency short 
     term grants and loans to individuals, particularly those who 
     head families and are taking care of children and the 
     elderly.
       Further, while we are all dismayed by television pictures 
     of looters, we must not allow the focus of our humanitarian 
     efforts to be diminished in any way by those actions. While 
     criminal activity that threatens lives should not be 
     tolerated, we must use maximum discretion in the use of force 
     against individuals who may be motivated by poverty and 
     hunger.
       I have received many calls from constituents as well as 
     Americans across the country, who believe that the victims of 
     this catastrophe are receiving a lesser government response 
     than would be provided for people of means. True or not, this 
     perception will be aggravated if in coming days Americans do 
     not see a more forceful and creative response to this crisis, 
     whether it means using large military planes to bring in 
     supplies, including temporary housing and the use of hotels 
     or even cruise ships.
       Mr. President, we must raise the level of response to this 
     crisis, the greatest natural disaster in the nation's 
     history, and it must be done immediately.
       Thanks for your consideration.
           Sincerely,
                                                Charles B. Rangel,
                                               Member of Congress.

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