Providing for Consideration of H. Res. 437, Establishing the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response...
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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Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, when Hurricane Katrina came ashore and ravaged the gulf States and the levees in New Orleans, Americans united in their support of those in need and the communities devastated by this terrible disaster. As Katrina passed over the gulf States and in the days that followed, Americans saw firsthand the devastation and human suffering that resulted. We were also eyewitnesses to the tragedy of hundreds of thousands of people who had escaped the wrath of the terrible storm only to then be stranded in the Superdome, the convention center, or trapped on the roofs, surrounded by rising flood waters with little in the way of food, water, or medical care. Mr. Speaker, we saw and felt the ensuing heartbreak. Mothers became separated from their children, elderly parents were unaccounted for, and siblings were trying to look after each other.
With the passage of time, our outrage and frustration set in. Reporters and the media managed to get to the heart of the disaster; yet there was little sign of our Federal relief efforts. Just as the American people united to aid the victims of Katrina, so too must Congress. Our constituents demand no less. They are more interested in getting answers than pointing fingers. They want to know that we are finding solutions and making recommendations to ensure our responses are never again at a snail's pace.
It is time for Congress, as part of the Federal Government, and therefore an element of the relief response, to shoot straight with the American people. An independent commission, removed from the partisan fray, is better positioned to find answers. Why were we not preparing our responses to Katrina near land? Where was the coordination between Federal, State, and local efforts? There are many questions that must be answered and an independent commission is a means that can provide the answers.
We saw the successful implementation following the tragedy of September 11, and following this model Congress will reassure the American people the answers that the independent commission finds and the recommendations they make are ones in which the Nation can trust.
I know my constituents are closely following this. My hometown of Sacramento lies in a floodplain at the confluence of two great rivers and faces the constant threat of floods. If we find ourselves in dire circumstances, can my constituents be assured that they can count on prompt Federal Government response?
This is not a blame game. I am not interested in pointing fingers, nor are the American people. They are more interested in identifying areas of weakness and making the necessary improvements. This is about preventing another tragedy similar to what we witnessed in New Orleans and the gulf States. We must ensure that the Federal Government does its job of protecting the American people, and with an independent commission we will do so.
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