FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 15, 2005

CONTACT: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider 202-226-7616

Pelosi Calls for Marshall Plan, Partnership With the People, to Rebuild and Restore Gulf Coast

Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi joined Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and Congressmen Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Gene Taylor (D-MS) today at a news conference this afternoon to discuss Hurricane Katrina relief and recovery efforts in advance of the President’s address this evening. Below are Pelosi’s remarks as prepared:

“Senator Reid and I are here to deliver a clear message to the residents of the Gulf Coast: Democrats stand with you, respect you, and are prepared to do whatever it takes to help you rebuild your communities.

“We stand with Congressmen Bennie Thompson and Gene Taylor and our other colleagues whose constituents have suffered in this great national tragedy.

“They remind us, as did Senator Landrieu in her eloquent statement on the floor last week, that Katrina has produced hundreds of thousands of individual tragedies, especially for the children.

“I saw some of this suffering and loss last week in Houston: people who 10 days earlier had homes, jobs and churches. After the winds came and the waters rose, these people are now left with only a brown paper bag of belongings.

“We salute the people of Houston – and the people of many other communities – who have responded with such an outpouring of giving and hospitality. We offer our nation’s thanks to the emergency workers on the ground – the first responders, health care workers and the volunteers – who worked tirelessly to save lives.

“They remind us that America’s greatest strength is that we are one community and that we achieve our greatest triumphs when we strive together.

“Still, all of the giving in the world can never replace all that was lost, and the most compassionate of shelter is no substitute for home. Rebuilding those lives and those communities is a responsibility shared by all Americans.

“The destruction in our country caused by Hurricane Katrina is unprecedented and demands an unprecedented response.

“Democrats have announced a comprehensive response for the victims of Katrina: emergency housing assistance, health care coverage, expanded unemployment insurance, and education assistance. We have also proposed legislation to punish those who gouge consumers on gasoline and home heating fuel.

“But we must do much more.

“Nearly 60 years ago, as much of Europe lay in ruins, the people of America stepped forward with the Marshall Plan – an ambitious effort in which Americans helped countries devastated by war to rebuild homes and businesses, schools and railroads, industries and infrastructure.

“Today, Democrats say to the people of our ravaged Gulf Coast: ‘you deserve nothing less.’

“We call for a Marshall Plan for the Gulf States: a partnership with the people of the region to build new housing, revive farmland, repair infrastructure, construct schools to rebuild your communities, revive your economies, and restore your lives.

“We know the American people share that commitment, and endorse core principles to guide this Marshall Plan for the Gulf Coast:

“The people of the Gulf Coast must lead the way in re-establishing their communities. That is good governance. Those who made these communities strong – faith leaders, farm families, neighborhood activists, small business owners, local officials, and labor leaders – will make them strong again.

“Local residents must have the priority for the tens of thousands of jobs building new homes, schools and businesses. Local small businesses and workers, not just giant corporations with no-bid/cost-plus contracts, should take the lead. We must overturn the Presidential edict that slashes wages for workers who join the rebuilding effort.

“The health crisis resulting from Katrina will not end quickly, and neither can our medical response. We must provide extended funding for mental and public health services. And as was the case after 9/11, we must have long-term monitoring and treatment for victims of illness that may take years to appear.

“The catastrophic environmental destruction and pollution caused by Katrina threatens the public’s health – particularly the young, the elderly and the ill - and must be thoroughly cleaned up. Restoring wetlands, controlling toxics, and monitoring water quality are urgent challenges facing Gulf residents. So are the environmental justice concerns raised by the region’s minority populations, who are suffering increased exposure to pollution and health hazards.

“As tens of billions of dollars are spent on recovery and rebuilding, we are proposing legislation that tells contractors: if you cheat the taxpayers, you will go to jail.

“Lastly, the American people deserve to know the truth about how their government prepared for, and responded to, this crisis. That is why Democrats continue to call for a 9/11-type independent investigation of the government’s response. The Bush Administration and the Republican Congress should not investigate themselves, and partisanship has no place in this inquiry.

“This ravaged region of our nation deserves our support, our cooperation and our sympathy. We are concerned by Administration initiatives this week waiving wage protections, environmental safeguards, and safeguards for veterans, minorities, women and the disabled. The Gulf Coast region does not deserve to be treated as a laboratory for political opportunism or ideological experimentation.

“Now is the time for unity.

“It is a source of sorrow to our nation that so many were left behind as the waters rose.

“We must now commit that none will be left behind as the waters recede.”

“ Democrats are united in presenting a New Direction for America, one that will make our nation as strong as its people, one that brings opportunity, security, and prosperity to all Americans. ”

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi