Reflections from the Gulf Coast - House Democrats

[Sapphire Blue]

Reflections from the Gulf Coast

Sixteen House Democrats are currently on a bipartisan Congressional delegation to the Gulf Coast. They are spending several days touring the hurricane ravaged areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and meeting with Katrina survivors and local officials. This page will be updated throughout their trip.

What we have seen challenges the national conscience. Last night Congressman Charlie Melancon led us on a night tour of St. Bernard's Parish, just outside of New Orleans. About 70,000 people called St. Bernard's Parish home, and now, six months after Katrina, it is only the physical home to a couple thousand. Of the 27,000 houses, only three were not flooded. Congressman Melancon described a time when kids ran through the streets and families cooked out. There is now nothing - the emptiness and darkness is beyond eerie.

Earlier in the day, we witnessed the devastation in Mississippi. One man in Bay St. Louis told us that there is so little left to hold onto that the most mundane items found in the wreckage of their homes have now become treasures. He had an autographed baseball by the New York Yankees that was found by a neighbor's child. It returned to him water logged with the signatures blurry, but is a possession that can be held onto.

House Democrats are committed to helping Katrina survivors. It is clear that with evictions and the tent cities, that many survivors are struggling to rebuild their lives without the support they need from the federal government. And we don't believe the Administration has learned the lessons that will prevent this from happening again. That is why we need an independent commission to look into the federal government's response to Katrina and the other hurricanes.

I keep thinking of the wonderful passage in the Bible from the Book of Ruth, "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people." As children of God we are bound together as recipients of God's promises of hope and love, but we are also bound by the promises we make to each other - to stand together. We are a family - an American family. We are in this together. I thank the people of our Gulf Coast for opening their hearts, their stories, their kindness and their communities to our delegation. We will not leave you.

- Leader Nancy Pelosi, 3/4/06, 1:00 pm

Read Reflections of the Gulf Coast from other House Democrats @ http://www.housedemocrats.gov/news/librarydetail.cfm?library_content_id=671&CFID=2603995&CFTOKEN=34263651

[MissMarple]

1. Powerful. It is long past time for this government to put Americans first.

Not the corporations like Halliburton and Dubai Ports World, not the special interests like the for profit health care industry and lumber companies, not the totalitarian leaning control freak religious groups like Focus on the Family, just individual, everyday Americans. Us. Put the American people first....damn it.

[Sapphire Blue]

2. A kick for our House Dems!

:kick: