"While I appreciate and respect Mr. Paulison's position to end waste, the people in South Florida who are true victims of Hurricane Katrina should not have to suffer because the Bush Administration's political cronies made poor decisions in Florida last year, "an election year", after four hurricanes struck the state."  

Following a Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs hearing on Thursday, Paulison was asked about FEMA's wasteful spending in 2004 after four hurricanes struck Florida.  Paulison noted that he had rejected an appeal for funding from Miami- Dade County after Katrina swept through South Florida in August of this year.  He said, " The fact that I turned down my own hometown shows I will do it for others, too."

Rep. Wasserman Schultz is the sponsor of bi-partisan legislation (H.R. 3723) in Congress that would direct FEMA to provide individual assistance to Floridians who suffered damage from Hurricane Katrina.  The legislation was co-sponsored by all 25 members of Florida's delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives and is a direct result of FEMA's decision to deny individual assistance to Florida's victims of Hurricane Katrina in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

The damage suffered by Floridians as a result of Hurricane Katrina has been widely reported, with estimates of damage to over 350 homes and crop losses of around $492 million.  Florida emergency management officials have stated that nearly 11,000 residents of Florida are seeking relief as a result of Hurricane Katrina, with roughly 58% of those making less than $20,000 annually.

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