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Washington, D.C. -- Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today called for greater leadership and control over the response to Hurricane Katrina.
“I completely share the frustration of all Americans with the current situation along the Gulf Coast,” said Holt. ”My sister lives in the city and has been awaiting evacuation like tens of thousands of others. President Bush must exert far greater control over the relief effort and inject a genuine sense of urgency into the federal government’s response. We have too many people in New Orleans and the surrounding area who are hanging on by a thread…they need help, and they need it now.”
The House of Representatives will reconvene this afternoon to pass a $10.5 billion emergency appropriation to help pay for relief efforts, and Holt said this should only be considered a down payment.
“The human and financial toll from this tragedy will exceed that of 9/11,” said Holt. “We must be prepared to do all that is necessary to help the people of the Gulf Coast recover their health and rebuild their lives. Congress must also exercise its oversight responsibilities and hold hearings to determine why the federal response to this disaster has been so slow. The agencies that are responding to this disaster are also charged with defending this nation against terrorist attacks, and this episode has clearly highlighted shortcomings in our ability to respond to mass casualty situations. We need honest answers to what went wrong and real solutions to ensure that any future federal response to a major disaster will be better.”
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