[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
[September 1, 2005]
[Pages 1381-1383]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks Following a Meeting With Former President George H.W. Bush and Former President William J. Clinton
September 1, 2005

Relief Efforts for Hurricane Katrina

    Good afternoon. Thanks for coming. I'm honored to be with former 
Presidents Bush and Clinton. Thank you all for being here.
    We just spent some time talking about the devastation caused by 
Hurricane Katrina. I brought them up to date on what I know about the 
latest developments there on the ground. We're united in our sympathy. 
We're united in our determination to help the good people that have been 
affected by this hurricane.
    I'm in close contact with Secretary Chertoff. He was in the Oval Office earlier today. He's in 
close contact with FEMA Director Brown.
    I want to make sure I fully understand the relief efforts and the 
extent of the relief efforts and the progress of the relief efforts. 
After all, we're dealing with one of the largest relief efforts in our 
Nation's history, and the Federal Government has got an important role 
to play. Our first priority, of course, is to save lives. There are over 
80 FEMA teams that have been deployed to the gulf coast to conduct 
search and rescue missions. I want to thank those who are working long 
hours, for their dedication to saving lives. We've got Coast Guard folks 
and Navy and Army and Air Force and National Guardsmen from many 
different States that are delivering needed supplies and providing the 
rescue missions, trying to reach those in danger.
    We're working hard to repair the breaches in the levees. Federal, 
State, and local agencies are also cooperating to sustain life. That 
means getting food and water to those who are stranded. Medical 
personnel and local officials are helping hospital patients and people 
gathered in the Superdome to evacuate. Again, I want to thank the folks 
in Texas for welcoming those people. Bus caravans are shuttling back and 
forth between Houston and New Orleans to get those folks to Houston. Law 
enforcement and National Guardsmen and local leaders are working to 
restore public order.
    Earlier today, General Blum along with 
Mike Chertoff gave me a briefing about the 
number of guards-folks trained in police work that will be moving into 
New Orleans as well as other law enforcement officials from around the 
area. As we speak, people are moving into the New Orleans area to 
maintain law and order. I thank them for their good work. Government 
agencies are working with faith-based and community groups to find 
shelters for thousands of displaced persons.
    And finally, we're moving forward with a comprehensive recovery 
strategy. We're working hard to restore electric power, repair 
transportation infrastructure, restart energy production, and of course, 
strategize as to how to provide housing for these folks.
    I met with Chairman Greenspan at lunch as 
well as the economic team to evaluate the impact of Hurricane Katrina. 
We particularly spent a lot of time talking about the damage done to our 
energy infrastructure and its effect on the availability and price of 
gasoline. In our judgment, we view this storm as a temporary disruption 
that is being addressed by the Government and by the private sector. 
We've taken immediate steps to address the issue. The Secretary of 
Energy is approving loans of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum 
Reserve. The EPA has provided a temporary, nationwide waiver for fuel 
requirements so supplies of gasoline can move more easily within our 
country and so that we can attract more gasoline from overseas.

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    We're also working with energy companies to repair and reactivate 
major refineries and pipelines. The good folks must understand that 
major refineries have been shut down, which means it's going to be hard 
to get gasoline to some markets. We're working to help these pipelines 
get up and running. Pipelines carry refined product.
    And so we're working with the majors--major oil companies to get 
the--with Colonial Pipeline so they can carry the products of the major 
oil companies, the refined products. Right now the Colonial Pipeline, 
which is a major pipeline serving the east coast, is back in operation 
but only at 50-percent capacity. We anticipate that as the days go by, 
more and more of that capacity will be restored. Other major pipelines 
are coming back online. But as I said, we're going to have a temporary 
disruption of gasoline product.
    Another challenge we face is that the downed pipelines are causing 
the need to transport gasoline to needed markets by ship. Under current 
law, shipping between American ports can only take place on American 
ships, and there are currently not enough American ships to move the oil 
and gasoline to where it's needed. So today I've instructed Secretary of 
Homeland Security Chairman Chertoff to 
temporarily waive this requirement, so foreign ships can also help 
distribute oil and gasoline to where it's needed. Today's action will 
further help us move gasoline to accommodate the demands of the American 
citizens.
    Steps we're taking will help address the problem of availability, 
but it's not going to solve it. Americans should be prudent in their use 
of energy during the course of the next few weeks. Don't buy gas if you 
don't need it.
    This recovery is going to be a long process. It's going to take a 
lot of hard work and patience and resolve. It's also going to require a 
lot of money. And the Federal Government will do its part, but the 
private sector needs to do its part as well. And that's why I've asked 
Presidents Bush and Clinton to lead a nationwide fundraising effort to 
help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
    In the days ahead, the former Presidents will ask Americans to open 
their hearts and their wallets to help those in need. And they're going 
to talk to large corporations and small businesses and individual 
citizens across the Nation. The contributions will benefit the relief 
organizations that are doing vital work on the ground. We're going to 
take a look and make sure that the money raised is money needed. Right 
now if our fellow citizens want to help, they ought to give a cash 
donation to the Red Cross, which they can find at phone number 1-800-
HELP-NOW.
    I was so proud of the efforts that President Clinton and President 
Bush did to help the victims of the tsunami relief. Our country marveled 
at their capacity to rally our citizens and to work together. And once 
again, I've asked them to work to help the needs of those who hurt. And 
once again, I'm confident that the American people will respond.
    I know this is an agonizing time, or we all know this is an 
agonizing time for the people of the gulf coast. I ask their continued 
patience as recovery operations unfold. I can assure them that the 
thoughts and prayers of the entire Nation are with them and their loved 
ones. I'm also confident that when it's all said and done, the efforts 
to rebuild the great city of New Orleans and to rebuild those 
communities in Mississippi and to help the folks in Alabama will make 
this Nation a stronger place.
    May God bless you all.

Note: The President spoke at 2:45 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, Chief, 
National Guard Bureau.

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