Providing for Consideration, Establishing the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 437, ESTABLISHING THE SELECT BIPARTISAN COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE PREPARATION FOR AND RESPONSE TO HURRICANE KATRINA -- (House of Representatives - September 15, 2005)
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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule and to the underlying resolution.
The Federal response to Hurricane Katrina was absolutely unacceptable. The American people deserve to know what went so terribly wrong and what we must do to make sure it never, ever happens again.
Unfortunately, the partisan committee being proposed by the Republican majority will not give the American people any confidence that Congress is asking tough questions and demanding straight answers.
Apparently, Mr. Speaker, after the flood comes the whitewash.
For over 4 years, the Republican majority has refused at every turn to hold the Bush administration accountable for its mistakes. There has been no meaningful oversight, no tough investigations on anything.
Instead, Congress has turned a blind eye, and the bill we have before us represents more of the same.
The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), our colleague, has a different approach, a better approach. The commission established by his legislation would be truly independent, and its recommendations would carry far more weight. This independent commission would be similar to the 9/11 panel that was such an effective, meaningful force for change.
Because what the American people deserve at the end of this process is a document that does not necessarily agree with everything I say or does not cover the President's back, which is what the Republicans are trying to do today, but that actually helps fix the problems that Hurricane Katrina exposed.
Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker. The purpose of the commission established by the gentleman from Florida's (Mr. Hastings) bill is not simply to assign blame. Rather, an independent commission would take a tough, honest approach to an incredibly complicated problem.
Pre-identifying vulnerable areas, strategically deploying resources, anticipating potential stumbling blocks as we prepare for disasters, these need to be the guiding principles of our national response plan. An independent commission would produce recommendations that enhance our national response plan and enable FEMA to be structured appropriately.
Furthermore, this commission will show whether or not, as I believe, FEMA lacked appropriate leadership, leadership with experience in disaster management, and then recommend ways in which the agency can be better prepared, both in terms of personnel and resources. Unlike the President, I do not think Brownie did a heck of a job. An effective response to a disaster or crisis cannot happen unless the best qualified people are coordinating the efforts, equipped with the best resources.
The partisan committee put forward by the Republican majority just does not cut it. Instead, it would be made up of Members of Congress, and there are three problems with that approach:
First, there are some Members whose time would be better spent dealing with the immediate recovery and reconstruction needs created by the hurricane. Second, Republican politicians would be ``investigating'' other Republican politicians. And, third, some of the problems we saw in the gulf coast include bad funding choices made by Congress itself.
Mr. Speaker, the Federal Government's response to Hurricane Katrina was a national disgrace. The job of this Congress is not to run interference for the Bush administration; it is to do what is best for the American people. Seventy-six percent of the public want an independent commission because, quite frankly, they do not trust the Republican majority to do it right. They have a pattern of sweeping problems under the rug, of turning everything into a political fight. That pattern has to stop, and we can stop it today.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this rule.
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