10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, August 29 of this year will mark the 10-year anniversary that Hurricane Katrina struck ground, causing massive devastation throughout southeast Louisiana, as well as other parts of the Gulf Coast, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Mr. Speaker, tonight, we are going to talk about the devastation that was caused by Hurricane Katrina, and of course, it starts with the more than 1,800 lives that were lost, people from Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia who all lost their lives through this devastating storm.

Mr. Speaker, we are also going to talk about something else, and that is the strength and resiliency of the people of the Gulf Coast who persevered, who rebuilt. Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, we are going to talk about the recovery of the people of the Gulf Coast from this devastating storm.

First, I will yield to my friend from the great State of Alabama, Mr. Robert Aderholt.

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Mr. SCALISE. I thank you. I appreciate my colleague from Alabama's (Mr. Aderholt) comments.

Of course, Mr. Speaker, so much of the national attention on Hurricane Katrina focused on the city of New Orleans.

We all remember the pictures, the visuals, of people that were displaced, of floodwaters that sat, in many cases, for 2 or 3 weeks.

But then, of course, we also remember the many things that happened along the way for people who rebuilt, who came back, who persevered.

My colleague and friend who represents the city of New Orleans along with me obviously was deeply involved in a lot of those recovery efforts.

I want to yield now to my colleague from New Orleans (Mr. Richmond).

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Mr. SCALISE. Thank you, Congressman Richmond.

Of course, as the gentleman talked about, the devastation and those 1,833 lives that we lost throughout the Gulf Coast still live with us. We still remember the people who gave their lives, who lost their lives, in this devastating storm.

But, Mr. Speaker, some of the things that you saw from the people of southeast Louisiana--I know I saw firsthand the strength, the resiliency, of the people back at a time not long after the storm hit when there were people questioning whether or not the city of New Orleans would be rebuilt or should be rebuilt. You saw that conversation start around the country.

But, Mr. Speaker, that didn't last long before you saw the Nation come together and make a commitment, and you saw the people of New Orleans make a commitment that the city would be rebuilt.

But I think this is where the story of recovery comes out so bright and strong, Mr. Speaker. That is how the people of the Gulf Coast, how the people of New Orleans, responded.

People didn't say they were just going to rebuild what was broken. You saw people demanding, demanding, Mr. Speaker, that we rebuild better, stronger, more efficient. People started demanding that government work differently, that government work better.

Those levees that failed, Mr. Speaker, caused so much of that devastation. People said: We need to reform the way that levees are built. You saw a citizen uprising, in fact, that led to dramatic changes in State law.

I was a State representative at the time. We actually changed the constitution of Louisiana to require that people who serve on levee boards actually have experience in things like engineering, hydrology.

You saw citizen groups like Women of the Storm emerge, where over 50,000 people signed a petition not long after that demanded that laws be changed, Mr. Speaker, to make those kinds of reforms in levee boards.

And when you look at the levees that were rebuilt today with the help of our colleagues up here in Congress and the work of FEMA and other agencies--when you look at those levees, they are dramatically better.

The flood protection systems are better in southeast Louisiana. That didn't happen by accident. That happened because the people demanded those kinds of changes.

You look at the political reform. As we all know, every State has got its problems. But Louisiana had a bad history of political corruption going back over 100 years.

The people of Louisiana demanded a better political system. You actually saw citizens picking up the telephone, calling the FBI if they saw an ounce of political corruption.

There became a zero tolerance for political corruption in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding regions. People went to jail.

But it was because the public said: We demand better. And, ultimately, that helped lead to the recovery that we see today 10 years later.

Just look at the school system, Mr. Speaker. Before Katrina struck, New Orleans had one of the most failed and corrupt public school systems in the country.

There were kids that were graduating--we had a high school valedictorian who couldn't pass the State exit exam.

After Katrina, again people said: We are going to rebuild, but we are going to demand a better public school system.

And you saw sweeping reforms move through the State legislature, setting up a system of charter schools in the New Orleans area that are now touted as the model for reform for urban education systems.

That didn't happen by accident. That happened because the people demanded better from government. We saw government fail at every level, Federal, State, and local. It is well documented.

The story of New Orleans today, 10 years after the storm, is the story of a strong and resilient people who said: We absolutely will rebuild, but we are not going to rebuild the same way that it was before with all of the flaws and problems that existed; we are going to demand better.

You can see better today, you can see the recovery. It is not over. There are still some neighborhoods that are working to rebuild, but there are so many neighborhoods that are stronger today, that are more thriving today. Young people coming in from other States to be a part of this renaissance, to be a part of this recovery.

It is an exciting time to be in the New Orleans region today; but obviously, as we reflect upon the devastation of Katrina 10 years ago, we know how far we have come and how much it took people pulling together, working with groups like the Pastors Resource Council, pastors from all around the country that came together to say that, while government had its failings, individuals, communities came together, churches came together, faith-based groups stood up like we have known that they do in so many other disasters to help get food to people, get shelter to people, and help people recover.

We, obviously, reflect on and pray for the lives that were lost and remember the devastation that was so horrific, but we also celebrate the recovery that is still so evident in the people of Louisiana.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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