George W. Bush
Speech on the Rebuilding of New Orleans After Hurricane Katrina
New Orleans, Louisiana
September 15, 2005
Good evening. I am speaking
to you from the city of New Orleans nearly empty, still partly under
water, and waiting for life and hope to return. Eastward from Lake
Pontchartrain, across the Mississippi coast, to Alabama and into
Florida, millions of lives were changed in a day by a cruel and wasteful
storm.
In the aftermath, we have seen fellow citizens left stunned and uprooted
searching for loved ones, and grieving for the dead
and looking for
meaning in a tragedy that seems so blind and random. We have also
witnessed the kind of desperation no citizen of this great and generous
Nation should ever have to know fellow Americans calling out for food
and water
vulnerable people left at the mercy of criminals who had no
mercy
and the bodies of the dead lying uncovered and untended in the
street.
These days of sorrow and outrage have also been marked by acts of
courage and kindness that make all Americans proud. Coast Guard and
other personnel rescued tens of thousands of people from flooded
neighborhoods. Religious congregations and families have welcomed
strangers as brothers and sisters and neighbors. In the community of
Chalmette, when two men tried to break into a home, the owner invited
them to stay and took in 15 other people who had no place to go. At
Tulane Hospital for Children, doctors and nurses didnt eat for days so
patients could have food, and eventually carried the patients on their
backs up eight flights of stairs to helicopters. Many first responders
were victims themselves wounded healers, with a sense of duty greater
than their own suffering. When I met Steve Scott of the Biloxi Fire
Department, he and his colleagues were conducting a house-to-house
search for survivors. Steve told me this: I lost my house and I lost my
cars, but I still got my family ... and I still got my spirit.
Across the Gulf Coast, among people who have lost much
and suffered
much
and given to the limit of their power, we are seeing that same
spirit: a core of strength that survives all hurt
a faith in God no
storm can take away
and a powerful American determination to clear the
ruins and build better than before.
Tonight so many victims of the hurricane and the flood are far from home
and friends and familiar things. You need to know that our whole Nation
cares about you and in the journey ahead you are not alone. To all who
carry a burden of loss, I extend the deepest sympathy of our country. To
every person who has served and sacrificed in this emergency, I offer
the gratitude of our country. And tonight I also offer this pledge of
the American people: Throughout the area hit by the hurricane, we will
do what it takes
we will stay as long as it takes
to help citizens
rebuild their communities and their lives. And all who question the
future of the Crescent City need to know: There is no way to imagine
America without New Orleans, and this great city will rise again.
The work of rescue is largely finished; the work of recovery is moving
forward. In nearly all of Mississippi, electric power has been restored.
Trade is starting to return to the Port of New Orleans, and agricultural
shipments are moving down the Mississippi River. All major gasoline
pipelines are now in operation, preventing the supply disruptions that
many feared. The breaks in the levees have been closed, the pumps are
running, and the water here in New Orleans is receding by the hour.
Environmental officials are on the ground, taking water samples,
identifying and dealing with hazardous debris, and working to get
drinking water and waste water treatment systems operating again. And
some very sad duties are being carried out by professionals who gather
the dead, treat them with respect, and prepare them for their rest.
In the task of recovery and rebuilding, some of the hardest work is
still ahead and it will require the creative skill and generosity of a
united country.
Our first commitment is to meet the immediate needs of those who had to
flee their homes and leave all their possessions behind. For these
Americans, every night brings uncertainty, every day requires new
courage, and the months to come will bring more than their fair share of
struggles.
The Department of Homeland Security is registering evacuees who are now
in shelters, churches, or private homes whether in the Gulf region or
far away. I have signed an order providing immediate assistance to
people from the disaster area. As of today, more than 500 thousand
evacuee families have gotten emergency help to pay for food, clothing,
and other essentials. Evacuees who have not yet registered should
contact FEMA or the Red Cross. We need to know who you are, because many
of you will also be eligible for broader assistance in the future. Many
families were separated during the evacuation, and we are working to
help you reunite. Please call 1-877-568-3317, thats 1-877-568-3317, and
we will work to bring your family back together, and pay for your travel
to reach them.
In addition, we are taking steps to ensure that evacuees dont have to
travel great distances or navigate bureaucracies to get the benefits
that are there for them. The Department of Health and Human Services has
sent more than fifteen hundred health professionals, along with over 50
tons of medical supplies including vaccines, antibiotics, and
medicines for people with chronic conditions such as diabetes. The
Social Security Administration is delivering checks. The Department of
Labor is helping displaced persons apply for temporary jobs and
unemployment benefits. And the Postal Service is registering new
addresses so that people can get their mail.
To carry out the first stages of the relief effort and begin the
rebuilding at once, I have asked for, and the Congress has provided,
more than 60 billion dollars. This is an unprecedented response to an
unprecedented crisis, which demonstrates the compassion and resolve of
our nation.
Our second commitment is to help the citizens of the Gulf Coast to
overcome this disaster, put their lives back together, and rebuild their
communities. Along this coast, for mile after mile, the wind and water
swept the land clean. In Mississippi, many thousands of houses were
damaged or destroyed. In New Orleans and surrounding parishes, more than
a quarter million houses are no longer safe to live in. Hundreds of
thousands of people from across this region will need to find
longer-term housing.
Our goal is to get people out of shelters by the middle of. So we are
providing direct assistance to evacuees that allows them to rent
apartments, and many already are moving into places of their own. A
number of states have taken in evacuees and shown them great compassion
admitting children to school, and providing health care. So I will
work with Congress to ensure that states are reimbursed for these extra
expenses.
In the disaster area and in cities that have received huge numbers of
displaced people we are beginning to bring in mobile homes and
trailers for temporary use. To relieve the burden on local health care
facilities in the region, we are sending extra doctors and nurses to
these areas. We are also providing money that can be used to cover
overtime pay for police and fire departments while cities and towns
rebuild.
Near New Orleans, Biloxi, and other cities, housing is urgently needed
for police and firefighters, other service providers, and the many
workers who are going to rebuild those cities. Right now, many are
sleeping on ships we have brought to the Port of New Orleans and more
ships are on their way to the region. And we will provide mobile homes,
and supply them with basic services, as close to the construction areas
as possible, so the rebuilding process can go forward as quickly as
possible.
And the federal government will undertake a close partnership with the
states of Louisiana and Mississippi, the city of New Orleans, and other
Gulf Coast cities, so they can rebuild in a sensible, well planned way.
Federal funds will cover the great majority of the costs of repairing
public infrastructure in the disaster zone, from roads and bridges to
schools and water systems. Our goal is to get the work done quickly. And
taxpayers expect this work to be done honestly and wisely so we will
have a team of inspectors general reviewing all expenditures.
In the rebuilding process, there will be many important decisions and
many details to resolve, yet we are moving forward according to some
clear principles. The federal government will be fully engaged in the
mission, but Governor Barbour, Governor Blanco, Mayor Nagin, and other
state and local leaders will have the primary role in planning for their
own future. Clearly, communities will need to move decisively to change
zoning laws and building codes, in order to avoid a repeat of what we
have seen. And in the work of rebuilding, as many jobs as possible
should go to men and women who live in Louisiana, Mississippi, and
Alabama.
Our third commitment is this: when communities are rebuilt, they must be
even better and stronger than before the storm. Within the Gulf region
are some of the most beautiful and historic places in America. As all of
us saw on television, there is also some deep, persistent poverty in
this region as well. And that poverty has roots in a history of racial
discrimination, which cut off generations from the opportunity of
America. We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action. So
let us restore all that we have cherished from yesterday, and let us
rise above the legacy of inequality. When the streets are rebuilt, there
should be many new businesses, including minority-owned businesses,
along those streets. When the houses are rebuilt, more families should
own, not rent, those houses. When the regional economy revives, local
people should be prepared for the jobs being created. Americans want the
Gulf Coast not just to survive, but to thrive
not just to cope, but to
overcome. We want evacuees to come home, for the best of reasons
because they have a real chance at a better life in a place they love.
When one resident of this city who lost his home was asked by a reporter
if he would relocate, he said, Naw, I will rebuild but Ill build
higher. That is our vision of the future, in this city and beyond: we
will not just rebuild, we will build higher and better.
To meet this goal, I will listen to good ideas from Congress, state and
local officials, and the private sector. I believe we should start with
three initiatives that the Congress should pass.
Tonight I propose the creation of a Gulf Opportunity Zone, encompassing
the region of the disaster in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Within this zone, we should provide immediate incentives for
job-creating investment
tax relief for small businesses
incentives
to companies that create jobs ... and loans and loan guarantees for
small businesses, including minority-owned enterprises, to get them up
and running again. It is entrepreneurship that creates jobs and
opportunity
it is entrepreneurship that helps break the cycle of
poverty
and we will take the side of entrepreneurs as they lead the
economic revival of the Gulf region.
I propose the creation of Worker Recovery Accounts to help those
evacuees who need extra help finding work. Under this plan, the federal
government would provide accounts of up to five thousand dollars, which
these evacuees could draw upon for job training and education to help
them get a good job
and for child care expenses during their job
search.
To help lower-income citizens in the hurricane region build new and
better lives, I also propose that Congress pass an Urban Homesteading
Act. Under this approach, we will identify property in the region owned
by the federal government, and provide building sites to low-income
citizens free of charge, through a lottery. In return, they would pledge
to build on the lot, with either a mortgage or help from a charitable
organization like Habitat for Humanity. Home ownership is one of the
great strengths of any community, and it must be a central part of our
vision for the revival of this region.
In the long run, the New Orleans area has a particular challenge,
because much of the city lies below sea level. The people who call it
home need to have reassurance that their lives will be safer in the
years to come. Protecting a city that sits lower than the water around
it is not easy but it can and has been done. City and parish officials
in New Orleans, and state officials in Louisiana, will have a large part
in the engineering decisions to come and the Army Corps of Engineers
will work at their side to make the flood protection system stronger
than it has ever been.
The work that has begun in the Gulf Coast region will be one of the
largest reconstruction efforts the world has ever seen. When that job is
done, all Americans will have something to be very proud of and all
Americans are needed in this common effort. It is the armies of
compassion charities and houses of worship and idealistic men and
women that give our reconstruction effort its humanity. They offer to
those who hurt a friendly face, an arm around the shoulder, and the
reassurance that in hard times, they can count on someone who cares. By
land, by sea, and by air, good people wanting to make a difference
deployed to the Gulf Coast and they have been working around the clock
ever since.
The cash needed to support the armies of compassion is great, and
Americans have given generously. For example, the private fundraising
effort led by former Presidents Bush and Clinton has already received
pledges of more than 100 million dollars. Some of that money is going to
governors, to be used for immediate needs within their states. A portion
will also be sent to local houses of worship, to help reimburse them for
the expense of helping others. This evening the need is still urgent,
and I ask the American people to continue donating to the Salvation
Army, the Red Cross, other good charities, and religious congregations
in the region.
It is also essential for the many organizations of our country to reach
out to your fellow citizens in the Gulf area. So I have asked USA
Freedom Corps to create an information clearing house, available at
usafreedomcorps.gov, so that families anywhere in the country can find
opportunities to help families in the region
or a school can support a
school. And I challenge existing organizations churches, Scout troops,
or labor union locals to get in touch with their counterparts in
Mississippi, Louisiana, or Alabama, and learn what they can do to help.
In this great national enterprise, important work can be done by
everyone, and everyone should find their role and do their part.
The government of this nation will do its part as well. Our cities must
have clear and up-to-date plans for responding to natural disasters,
disease outbreaks, or terrorist attack
for evacuating large numbers of
people in an emergency
and for providing the food, water, and security
they would need. In a time of terror threats and weapons of mass
destruction, the danger to our citizens reaches much wider than a fault
line or a flood plain. I consider detailed emergency planning to be a
national security priority. Therefore, I have ordered the Department of
Homeland Security to undertake an immediate review, in cooperation with
local counterparts, of emergency plans in every major city in America.
I also want to know all the facts about the government response to
Hurricane Katrina. The storm involved a massive flood, a major supply
and security operation, and an evacuation order affecting more than a
million people. It was not a normal hurricane and the normal disaster
relief system was not equal to it. Many of the men and women of the
Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the United States
military, the National Guard, Homeland Security, and state and local
governments performed skillfully under the worst conditions. Yet the
system, at every level of government, was not well coordinated, and was
overwhelmed in the first few days. It is now clear that a challenge on
this scale requires greater federal authority and a broader role for the
armed forces the institution of our government most capable of massive
logistical operations on a moments notice.
Four years after the frightening experience of September 11th, Americans
have every right to expect a more effective response in a time of
emergency. When the federal government fails to meet such an obligation,
I as President am responsible for the problem, and for the solution. So
I have ordered every Cabinet secretary to participate in a comprehensive
review of the government response to the hurricane. This government will
learn the lessons of Hurricane Katrina. We are going to review every
action and make necessary changes, so that we are better prepared for
any challenge of nature, or act of evil men, that could threaten our
people.
The United States Congress also has an important oversight function to
perform. Congress is preparing an investigation, and I will work with
members of both parties to make sure this effort is thorough.
In the life of this nation, we have often been reminded that nature is
an awesome force, and that all life is fragile. We are the heirs of men
and women who lived through those first terrible winters at Jamestown
and Plymouth
who rebuilt Chicago after a great fire, and San Francisco
after a great earthquake
who reclaimed the prairie from the dust bowl
of the 1930s. Every time, the people of this land have come back from
fire, flood, and storm to build anew and to build better than what we
had before. Americans have never left our destiny to the whims of nature
and we will not start now.
These trials have also reminded us that we are often stronger than we
know with the help of grace and one another. They remind us of a hope
beyond all pain and death a God who welcomes the lost to a house not
made with hands. And they remind us that we are tied together in this
life, in this nation and that the despair of any touches us all.
I know that when you sit on the steps of a porch where a home once stood
or sleep on a cot in a crowded shelter
it is hard to imagine a
bright future. But that future will come. The streets of Biloxi and
Gulfport will again be filled with lovely homes and the sound of
children playing. The churches of Alabama will have their broken
steeples mended and their congregations whole. And here in New Orleans,
the street cars will once again rumble down St. Charles, and the
passionate soul of a great city will return.
In this place, there is a custom for the funerals of jazz musicians. The
funeral procession parades slowly through the streets, followed by a
band playing a mournful dirge as it moves to the cemetery. Once the
casket has been laid in place, the band breaks into a joyful second
line symbolizing the triumph of the spirit over death. Tonight the
Gulf Coast is still coming through the dirge yet we will live to see
the second line.
Thank you, and may God bless America. |
