[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 35 (Monday, September 5, 2005)]
[Page 1339]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Departure for a Tour of Gulf Coast Areas Damaged by Hurricane 
Katrina

September 2, 2005

    Secretary Chertoff and I just finished a meeting with Secretary 
Rumsfeld, General Myers, other members of my Cabinet, as well as General 
Honore, Admiral Keating, who is in charge of NORTHCOM--General Honore is 
our active duty general on the ground in Louisiana as well--and Mike 
Brown, who is the head of FEMA.
    There's a lot of aid surging toward those who have been affected, 
millions of gallons of water, millions of tons of food. We're making 
progress about pulling people out of the Superdome. There's an issue 
right now at the convention center of New Orleans that General Honore 
briefed us on. We're trying to get food and medicine to the convention 
center. He's working with the Governor and the adjutant general and the 
mayor to deploy 600 of the newly arrived MPs to secure the site, so that 
the food and medicine and water can get in there.
    A lot of people are working hard to help those who've been affected, 
and I want to thank the people for their efforts. The results are not 
acceptable. I'm headed down there right now. I'm looking forward to 
talking to the people on the ground. I want to assure the people of the 
affected areas and this country that we'll deploy the assets necessary 
to get the situation under control, to get the help to the people who've 
been affected, and that we're beginning long-term planning to help those 
who have been displaced, as well as long-term planning to help rebuild 
the communities that have been affected.
    I'm looking forward to my trip down there and looking forward to 
thanking those on the ground and looking forward to assure people that 
we'll get on top of this situation, and we're going to help people who 
need help.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 9:02 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco of 
Louisiana; Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honore, USA, commanding general, First 
United States Army; Maj. Gen. Bennett C. Landreneau, Adjutant General 
for Louisiana; and Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans, LA.