Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act To Meet Immediate Needs Arising from the Consequences of Hurricane Katrina, 2005

EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT TO MEET IMMEDIATE NEEDS ARISING FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF HURRICANE KATRINA, 2005 -- (Extensions of Remarks - September 12, 2005)

SPEECH OF
HON. BRAD SHERMAN
OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2005

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join with my colleagues in expressing my sincere condolences to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. My heart goes out to those who are suffering, especially those who are still seeking information on the fate of missing loved ones. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina will continue to be felt for years to come.

Therefore, I support this all important supplemental appropriation bill to ensure our Nation can and will provide the necessary relief services to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In the aftermath of this horrible tragedy, as in past tragedies, we have seen the true generosity and compassion of the American people. I continue to be amazed at the outpouring of support from people all over the country working together to offer assistance to those in need.

Hundreds of fire fighters and search and rescue crews from my home state of California have gone to New Orleans and the Gulf coast devastated by the hurricane. I am proud to say that this includes the 70 strong Los Angeles urban rescue team from Fire Station No. 88 in Sherman Oaks in my Congressional District.

In both my District and Washington, DC offices, I have received hundreds of calls from my constituents calling to express their concern for those in need and seeking to identify ways to provide them with assistance. For many of my constituents, this tragedy brought back their memories of surviving natural disasters, like the 6.8 earthquake that struck Northridge at 4:30 am on January 17, 1994. Like Katrina, this earthquake caused monumental damage to communities, including road structures, and was one of the costliest natural disasters in our nation's history.

Following the earthquake, the Northridge community experienced similar outpouring of support from Americans. However, we also experienced a much greater and more effective response from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the response of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA began 15 minutes after the earthquake. This is particularly significant because unlike Katrina, the Northridge earthquake was not predicted to occur in 2004. In addition, the FEMA Headquarters Emergency Support team was activated 90 minutes after the earthquake. FEMA coordinated the response of the 27 Federal agencies involved in the Northridge earthquake allowing for services to be provided quickly. An Earthquake Service Center with representatives from all disaster agencies was opened almost immediately. FEMA also expedited the loan process for victims and disseminated important information to Los Angeles County residents.

In short, we saw results. Victims received relief in a timely manner. We saw an efficient Federal agency carrying out its mission. Reason would dictate that 11 years after this disaster, our response to natural disasters would be even more rapid and effective, and not slower and inefficient.

Sadly, this has not been the case. Almost exactly four years after the September 11th terrorist attacks, our Nation continues to struggle with properly aiding its citizens when disaster strikes.

And, unfortunately, we have seen firsthand the results of this struggle. We have all seen the images on television and heard the grim reports. People who have already lost their homes, who were separated from their families did not have access to basic necessities--food, water, and medical supplies. Many of these families, who needed their government the most, were forced to live in despicable, unhealthy and dangerous conditions. Women have been raped, babies have had to go without diapers, and people were forced to live in filth surrounded by human waste and corpses.

This is absolutely unacceptable, and I join with my colleagues in demanding a complete explanation of and accountability for what went wrong. We must also ensure that this ineffectual initial response never happens again.

Congress has a vital role in overseeing agencies and providing adequate funding. We need to reinstitute disaster mitigation programs like ``Project Impact'' that were in place during the Northridge earthquake. In addition to providing assistance after a disaster we need to take steps to prevent disasters. This includes responding to the funding requests of the Army Corps of Engineers and local communities who have predicted disasters, like the one we are now experiencing. In our capacity as legislators, we must ensure that FEMA has the leadership, tools and resources to effectively respond to a crisis without being burdened by untold levels of bureaucracy and lack of a clear mission.

This is an agency that needs to be directed by an experienced professional. What we have seen is just the opposite. I therefore call for the resignation of FEMA director Michael Brown. I am encouraged that former FEMA director James Lee Witt is providing his knowledge and experience to the state of Louisiana and it is my sincere hope that Mr. Witt will be reappointed to his position as Chief of FEMA and restore that agency to the strength it had during the Northridge earthquake.

But, that is not enough. We must also help individuals facing financial vulnerabilities from natural disasters as well as foster an environment that allows the private sector to properly aid those in need. To that end, I have worked with my colleague from Florida, Ms. Brown-Waite, on legislation that would require the Secretary of the Treasury to ensure there was sufficient insurance capacity available for private homeowners to cover catastrophic natural disasters. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor the Homeowners' Insurance Availability Act of 2005 (H.R. 846).

In 2002, along with several of my colleagues, I asked GAO to study efforts to securitize natural catastrophe and terrorism risk. We received that report in April 2003, but have not held hearings in the Financial Services Committee on the issue since then. I am hopeful that we can enact this needed insurance legislation so that Americans living in areas subject to cyclonic, seismic, volcanic and other catastrophic activity can rest assured that the industry insuring them against losses will be there when they need it the most.

This is just one suggestion for ways that we can move forward to protect our citizens and our financial industry. Once again, I thank my fellow citizens who have shown such wonderful compassion for those affected by Katrina. I look forward to working with my colleagues toward the goal of implementing a fully functional and effective government response that aids people in need and provides them with the tools to help get them back on their feet as quickly as possible. The American people deserve no less.

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