[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20174]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            GAMING INDUSTRY'S RESPONSE TO HURRICANE KATRINA

  (Ms. BERKLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, as millions of people lost their homes and 
their jobs, the casino and gaming industry in the Gulf Coast region is 
helping them in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
  I applaud the American Gaming Association for setting up the Gaming 
Industry Katrina Relief Fund to raise money to provide disaster relief 
and assistance to gaming employees in Mississippi and Louisiana.
  Gaming companies have created programs to help their employees after 
the devastation of the hurricane. Among other relief efforts, Harrah's 
Entertainment has established a $1 million Employee Recovery Fund and 
is paying employee wages for 90 days, Boyd Gaming is paying employees 
for 8 weeks, and the MGM Mirage has established a call center and 
paycheck distribution center in Biloxi.
  The gaming industry is taking care of their employees in the areas 
ravaged by the hurricane. As usual, the industry has stepped up to the 
plate to help their employees weather the storm and their communities 
to rebuild. I applaud the gaming industry for all they do.

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