Republican Leadership Prevents Establishment of Independent Commission to Investigate Katrina Response

Republican Leadership Prevents Establishment of Independent Commission to Investigate Katrina Response
9/15/2005

Sanders votes for independent Katrina commission and against Republican-controlled panel

Washington D.C.- Rep. Bernie Sanders today supported an effort to establish an independent commission to investigate the government's bungled response to Hurricane Katrina. The proposed commission supported by Rep. Sanders is modeled after the highly successful 9/11 Commission and designed to offer an objective review without partisan bias. House Republicans, by a party line vote of 222 to 193, blocked consideration of legislation to create the independent panel. Instead, House Republicans pushed through the creation of partisan committee controlled by Republicans to review the government's Katrina response. Sanders voted against the establishment of this partisan committee.

Sanders said, "Hurricane Katrina exposed critical flaws in our disaster response preparedness. At a time when we must be prepared to defend the American people not only against natural disasters, but also against terrorist threats, we need a thorough investigation into our government's failures so that we can ensure that this tragedy is never repeated. The 9/11 commission was enormously successful in educating us about the flaws in our national security and emergency response capabilities and the same should be done following Katrina."

The partisan committee approved by the House was created without input from non-Republicans and grants only the Republican Majority with the critically important power to issue subpoenas. It also gives the Republican Speaker sole authority to appoint members to the committee. Many fear that such a committee would whitewash Bush Administration bungling in its response to Katrina. In contrast the Sanders-supported independent commission would have had an equal number of Republicans and Democrats and provide a balanced investigation of the situation.

Sanders said, "Instead of creating an independent committee that would provide us with real answers about our emergency response and allow us to prepare for the future, the Republican leadership has created a partisan, political committee designed simply to protect the Administration from blame. Americans deserve real answers and real solutions, not political games."

http://bernie.house.gov/documents/releases/20050915172036.asp