Get Hurricane Katrina's Relief Effort Right, Says DeLauro

Get Hurricane Katrina's Relief Effort Right, Says DeLauro

- The Country's Priorities Must be Re-Ordered -

In a speech on the House floor last night, Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) said we must reorder the country's priorities and get Hurricane Katrina's relief effort right. Following are her remarks as prepared for delivery.

"Mr. Speaker, these last nine days have been as difficult as any in our nation's history. The devastation caused by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to the thousands of citizens in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama is, put simply, without precedent in this country.

"And the images we have seen-that we continue to see-are unimaginable. People cutting through their rooftops, simply to keep their families above the rising floodwaters. Seniors in wheelchairs stuck in hundred-and-ten degree convention centers and stadiums for days with plumbing overflowing and no food or drinking water. Parents desperately pleading for family members to call them and let them know they are safe. Unspeakable acts of lawlessness and violence.

"We have seen ordinary citizens with shovels burying the dead not because they knew them but out of respect - because it was the right thing to do. Just yesterday, The Washington Post ran a picture of a body of a man who had died of seizures outside a New Orleans gas station, his dog lying by his side for 5 days.

"At those moments, your heart breaks. You never think that something like this happens in America.

"And so, it is unsurprising that countless Americans from across the country have expressed their outrage at the slow what has been an unacceptable federal response to this tragedy. Indeed, the slow response and tepid leadership cost us many lives on the Gulf Coast. Thankfully, as we speak, our troops, National Guard, rescue personnel from across the country and ordinary citizens in cities across America are volunteering and giving, to take in the homeless and continue the rescue. Heroism is winning out.

"Indeed, of all the tragedies that have befallen our country and the Gulf Coast in the last week, perhaps the saddest is that we knew that this day was coming for New Orleans. Contrary to the president's assertions that this flooding was unexpected, scientists, federal officials and others had predicted the potential for a Katrina-like disaster for decades. In 2002 The New Orleans Times-Picayune ran the now-infamous five-part series exploring the vulnerability of the city, specifically addressing the possibility of massive floods drowning residents, destroying homes and releasing toxic chemicals throughout the city. And just days ago, FEMA Director Brown and Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff listened in on electronic briefings given by staff before Hurricane Katrina had even touched Louisiana and Mississippi. They knew full well of the storm's deadly potential.

"Yet they were unprepared to do anything about it. Last year, former director of FEMA James Lee Witt said as much, testifying before a panel I chaired outside of the Congress. He told the committee, and I quote - "Scientists tell us that we are going to be seeing more catastrophic natural disaster events in the 21st Century then we've ever seen - more devastating. And yet we have destroyed the one agency that not only responds to those events, but also works with state and local governments to do pre-disaster mitigation prevention before that risk could ever happen, to minimize that risk." He went on to say that there were virtually no communications within FEMA itself - that it no longer had the communications channels or partnerships with state and local government it needed. Indeed, he said communications were virtually non-existent between FEMA headquarters in Washington and its 10 regional offices. It took the submerging of one of our most culturally vibrant cities to put Director Witt's words to the test.

"And so, this is not about assigning blame at an untimely moment. It is about understanding what this administration has done to FEMA, which is a symbol of its priorities and underlying values. They have cut the heart out of FEMA, as they have out of so much of our capacity to address our domestic needs and secure our homeland - from terrorist threats, from natural disasters, from global economic changes. The reason why the head of FEMA is so speechless at this moment - and why he must go - is that he represents an approach that leaves us with our fingers crossed, instead of with real vision for tackling the threats before America.

"This Administration and this Congress' answer to every problem is more tax cuts - mostly for the most privileged. They have left us saddled with bulging deficits, a diminished Social Security Trust Fund and weakened investment in our own people and communities. That is why the Federal government - and the agency responsible for emergency relief - failed to act and failed to lead.

"I start by calling for the resignation of Michael Brown, the director of FEMA - as a statement by the administration and our country that we intend to face these challenges in wholly new ways. It is the only way we can honor the heroism we are now witnessing in New Orleans, across the Gulf Coast and around the country.

"I make this request as a Member of the United States Congress and an American, not as a partisan. We need to unite now, just as our volunteers and police, fireman and troops are united in common effort. And that means accepting that we have a responsibility as a community to tackle the rescue and tackle the rebuilding of part of our country. Those are the values that now govern in this new period.

"We must make sure that our budget priorities are re-ordered, not to reward greed, but civic virtues. We must rebuild, and we must give people the capacity to remake their lives. It starts with getting this relief effort right - repairing the levee breaches, pumping out the flood waters, finding victims food and shelter. The new appropriations of our resources must enable people to get housing and their families back on track. We must invest in New Orleans, but also in our infrastructure, environment, and people. We must give people a new ability to volunteer in rebuilding our country. We must say no to price-gouging by oil companies, because this is a time when the people's interest comes first.

"It is long past time Congress rethink its policy of putting tax cuts for the wealthy ahead of priorities like investment in infrastructure, health , disaster preparedness.

"And so, we have much to do in this institution - tasks measured not only in dollars and cents but character and compassion. America is special, Mr. Speaker - that is evident every day as we watch the heroism of the Gulf Coast. It is time for leadership and heroism here as well. Thank you."

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