[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 22514]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          DISASTER ASSISTANCE

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, it has been a very long day. I am 
hoping, as this day continues into the evening hours, as we continue to 
work on the underlying bill, which is the Defense appropriations bill, 
to have an amendment dealing with Hurricane Katrina in a way this 
Congress might respond to this urgent need. I thank the Senator from 
Alaska for his patience through this day because the issue that is 
before us really is not an amendment on the Defense bill. It is a 
separate issue but needs to be handled before we leave, in my opinion.
  That is why I have stayed here throughout the day and have been here, 
of course, throughout the week, in many meetings and phone calls, and 
now in time on the floor throughout the day, to try to find a way to 
get some immediate help to our cities and parishes and counties along 
the gulf coast. It looks like there is a possibility that still might 
be the case.
  But because of the lateness of the hour, really for the staff that 
has been here so long, I am going to agree to continue to work through 
the night, allow the staff to take a recess, and spend some time on 
this, as I have throughout the last few hours, working with my 
colleagues, particularly Senator Levin from Michigan, who has put in a 
tremendous amount of time, other Senators, Senator Carper from 
Delaware, Senator Clinton, Senator Durbin, Senator Reid. And Senator 
Frist has been here for a while. Of course, Senator Vitter was here 
earlier trying to get through this process, with the specific focus of 
mine being to try to get our State in the same situation that other 
States have been put in when they needed help.
  We are not quite there yet, but we may yet get there by the time we 
close the debate in just a few hours. But, really, the staff has done 
more than they should be asked, to stay this late.
  We have tried four or five different compromises in the last 8 hours, 
and we are not quite there yet. But we may be there in the morning when 
the Senate comes out of recess.
  I am going to continue to work through the evening to see if we can 
find some sort of solution so that our four States--Louisiana, 
Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas--can be treated in the same way with 
the same respect as other States have in disasters in the past.
  I thank the Senator for his patience throughout the evening.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Louisiana.

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