Statement of Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin on Hurricane Katrina Relief

Statement of Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin on Hurricane Katrina Relief
September 2, 2005

My heart goes out to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and to those family members here in Wisconsin and across the country waiting for word from their loved ones. While Americans are reaching into their wallets to support private relief efforts, there should be no doubt that the federal government must provide the leadership to ultimately meet the challenges of this situation. Today Congress is expected to send an initial ten and a half billion dollars in federal disaster relief to help save and aid hurricane victims. I support this authorization of money.

Thousands of people are missing in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and, unfortunately, one of them seems to be our President. The failure of this President to show leadership and lay out a sufficient and immediate plan of action is appalling.

Particularly disturbing is that we have spent billions of dollars since the September 11th terrorist attacks planning for a response to another attack. What happened to those dollars and that planning given our inability to respond to this natural disaster? Why are we so unprepared? Who is accountable?

Thousands of lives are risked with each passing hour. FEMA must take immediate action to bring the affected people to safe communities. Saving lives must be the highest priority.

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