Expressing Condolences of Nation to Victims of Hurricane Katrina
Kucinich gave the following speech in Congress on September 7, 2005:
During the debate on H. Res 425, Expressing the Condolences of the Nation to the Victims of Hurricane Katrina, Congressman Kucinich said:
"It is appropriate that we recognize, as this resolution does, the courage of those who have risked their lives to save lives in the gulf coast tragedy. It is appropriate, as this resolution does, that we offer condolences for those who have suffered such great loss. It is appropriate that we do these things. I would suggest that there is another way that this House can extend itself in an appropriate fashion to offer further condolences and consolation.
"We can console the people of the gulf coast with a plan for complete recovery, a new national recovery act, if you will, in that we can console the people of the gulf coast region with food, with shelter, with clothing and with health care. We need the Center for Disease Control to be tasked immediately with the responsibility of making sure that conditions that could create cholera or typhoid are met with the full resources of our government, and that we control any conditions that could create an outbreak of disease that would be even more devastating than the conditions we find right now.
"We can console the people of the gulf coast with complete efforts to reconnect families. We have heard over and over again how families have been broken up. We have heard over and over again how people are desperately searching for loved ones. Only our Federal Government can be involved effectively in helping to bring about the reuniting of families.
"We can use our resources and effectively console people with complete rebuilding of the infrastructure. We know and we have heard many stories of how there were many plans to repair the infrastructure or to shore it up so that people would be spared the devastation that occurred. We need to move forward from this point and commit ourselves to seeing the infrastructure and flood control programs brought forward, and also to make sure that all of the structures that have been destroyed that are public structures are rebuilt.
"We can console the people of the States who have been affected by this tragedy by helping to lift people out of poverty, to make sure that the jobs that are created are jobs that are created for people who live in the area, to make sure that people are paid a living wage. The whole Nation saw the images of poverty reflected in the rising flood waters, but what we need to also show reflected is action from this Congress that would provide appropriate consolation for those who are mired in poverty.
"We need to provide the resources that will rebuild the cities, that will provide jobs, and then we also can expect the cities to have responsibility then. One of the cruelest assertions that is occurring right now is certain Federal officials maintaining that local communities had the first responsibility in this regard. That is just not true. The Federal Government surely could have foreseen and taken action.
"Well, now we can foresee the action that must be taken to rebuild communities. We can console the people with the health care system that would be expanded through Medicare so that people can not only receive the long-term care they are going to need but also the immediate short-term care that is vital to their survival.
"We can console the people by providing appropriate environmental protections. Now we see the stories of pollution that was in New Orleans being pumped back into sources that are not polluted. We need to look at available technologies that can enable us to provide increased environmental protection in the immediate circumstances, while we are also trying to prepare for long-term environmental protection.
"We can console the people by making sure their children will be educated during this time and setting up temporary schools.
"We can console the people through letting them see their government finally at work and go from government inaction to seeing a government in action.
"We can console the people by being there for them at once and repair the breach, not only that has occurred in a levee, but the breach of faith that people have had in their government.
"This is the time for people to see their government in action, and I think that this Congress will provide effective consolation to the people when we take that position."
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