This week, the President took responsibility for the inadequate response of our nation’s government and commented, ‘To the extent the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility.’  I support the decision of President Bush to remove Michael Brown from the ground operation in New Orleans and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director’s subsequent decision to resign.  I am hopeful in the abilities and experience of Vice Admiral Thad Allen to lead a swift and effective relief effort in the Gulf States and in acting FEMA director David Paulison, chosen by President Bush to be the acting FEMA director in response to Michael Brown’s resignation.  

I personally am calling for a bi-partisan commission, much like the 9-11 Commission, to conduct a full investigation as to what went wrong in the relief efforts in the immediate days and weeks following Hurricane Katrina’s relentless destruction.  However, right now, today, our energy and resolve should focus on rebuilding efforts in Louisiana and Mississippi and assisting those who have lost their homes, their jobs, and have been tasked with making a new life.

In response to the hurricane, Congress has allocated $62.3 billion for Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief in the vast 90,000 square mile region affected by Hurricane Katrina.  I have co-sponsored legislation which would re-establish FEMA as an independent agency in the executive branch.  The legislation mandates that the Director of FEMA be a cabinet-level official, report directly to the President, and establishes two Deputy Directors within FEMA, one to focus on natural disasters and one for terrorism related disasters.  

I voted in support of H. Res.425, which expresses condolences of the nation to victims of Hurricane Katrina.  It commends the resiliency and courage of the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and expresses the commitment to provide the necessary resources and to stand by the people affected by Hurricane Katrina in the relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts.  

In Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District, I have visited with hurricane victims and listened to their concerns, their fears, and will respond to their needs.  As your Representative in Congress, I remain steadfast in my commitment to assisting victims of one of our nation’s worst natural disasters in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and to those who have fled to neighboring states for their safety.