The DeGette Report

Statement

Dear Friends

Like all of you I was horrified and saddened by the destruction unleashed by Hurricane Katrina and the failure of the levees in New Orleans. Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone on the Gulf Coast who lost loved ones or is working to recover from this disaster.

Even as we come to terms with the enormity of this disaster, there are steps that must be taken to help the victims of the hurricane and ensure that our nation will be protected if another natural disaster - or a terrorist attack - occurs. Our nation needs to move quickly in these areas, that is why I:

* Voted today for $50 billion in aid for the Gulf Coast region impacted by the disaster. This is merely a down payment on federal help for the more than 1 million Americans impacted by the hurricane.

* Introduced a plan on September 6 to restore the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) independence as a cabinet-level agency run by directors with emergency response experience. During the 1990s, FEMA operated extremely well under this model. It is critical that we return to it now.

* Called for a truly bipartisan, independent commission to investigate what went wrong with the disaster response at each level of government and how we can fix it as quickly as possible.

What is clear from the hundreds of phone calls my office has received is that many of you are furious with the failure of our government to respond more quickly to the desperate cries for help of our neighbors on the Gulf Coast. In the wake of the hurricane, we cannot afford to let finger-pointing hinder the recovery effort. We must, however, demand accountability for one of the worst federal responses to perhaps the biggest natural disasters this country has ever experienced.

I am committed to helping Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama recover and to holding accountable those officials at every level of government responsible for our poor rescue efforts.

Warmest Regards,

Diana

Source