Hurricane Katrina Supplemental Relief

Floor Speech

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Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of San Jose, California, I extend our deepest condolences to the thousands who have lost family and friends, and to those who are still searching for loved ones. As the chairperson of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation, I want to let the people suffering today know that we care and that we Californians stand with them.

The people of California have also faced natural disasters in the form of earthquakes, floods, and fires. I recall the Loma Prieta Earthquake on October 17, 1989, that measured 7.1 on the Richter scale. Sixteen years have passed, but everyone who lives in the bay area remembers where they were when the earthquake struck. Americans everywhere stood with Californians, and this gave us the strength we needed to recover, rebound and rebuild.

As difficult as that earthquake was for us in California, the situation in the Gulf Coast is infinitely more challenging. Homes across the Gulf Coast are gone. People are left with nothing but the clothes on their back. Biloxi, Gulfport, Pass Christian, Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Kiln, Slidell, and other towns barely exist.

Our Nation has never had a city in the desperate shape that New Orleans finds itself in right now. The rule of law has broken down. People at the Superdome and the Convention Center are suffering in ways that are just not seen in our country in the 21st century. Mayor Nagin has said that thousands may be dead in New Orleans. This is an unprecedented human tragedy.

As a Nation, we must be steadfast and commit ourselves to save these people. We must stand with all of the people of the Gulf Coast and let them know that we are here today to help them get back on their feet. We are here to lend them a shoulder to lean on. We will be with you as long as it takes to get your lives in order, as long as it takes to get our cities back.

The people of the Gulf Coast have experienced hell on earth over the past week. They will face challenges in the coming days, weeks and months that are almost unimaginable. People are hungry, sick, homeless, and desperate. The storm has hit everyone hard and it has hit the poor hardest of all. The Federal response to this disaster has been too little and too slow. The situation must change and it must change right now.

Last night I flew across our great country to be here today to participate in this emergency session of Congress. It is important that the necessary resources be provided for this disaster, but actual leadership by the administration is desperately needed right now. There are dead bodies floating in New Orleans as we speak. There are tens of thousands of our fellow Americans who have been without the help that they need for this entire week.

I do not believe that our Federal Government is incapable of mobilizing to meet this disaster. The problem is that we have not yet done so as comprehensively as is necessary. Even the President stated today that the response of his administration has been inadequate.

There will be plenty of opportunity in the months to come to analyze what we could have done better, but today our task is simply to do better, to engage in a massive mobilization to save the lives of our fellow citizens and to end the chaos that has descended upon New Orleans and other areas devastated by this hurricane.

Our Nation stands united with the victims of this ruthless storm. Our fellow citizens from Mobile, Alabama, to New Orleans, Louisiana, need to know that they have our commitment to do all that we can. The bill we passed today is just a start. We will recover. We will rebuild. We will prevail.

In the days and weeks to come, the Congress will have many tasks before it, from fully funding the Army Corps' efforts, to revising the bankruptcy laws so the victims who have lost their homes can have a fresh start. But today, we call on you, Mr. President. Article 2, section 1, the executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States. We expect that the resources, the food, the water, the health care, the evacuation, the shelter will be brought to bear so our fellow citizens can end their suffering.

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