Help the Relief Efforts Today
There are hundreds of relief organizations working in the Gulf States today to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Below are just a few who are helping in their own way.
Just this week John McCain said that "[t]here must be no forgotten places in America" and is traveling to New Orleans today to make the case. But don't believe the rhetoric. The fact is, McCain has a history of denying the Gulf Coast aid when it needs it most and a record of outrageous votes to show for it.
Today John McCain is attending a Council for National Policy meeting in New Orleans. Here's what the man who John McCain proudly stands with -- a person he actively sought out support from -- has to say about the city:
McCain thinks Bush's biggest failure was not vetoing budgets.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has completed its preliminary analysis, testing the level of formaldehyde in occupied FEMA trailers that were issued to hurricane victims after Katrina.
Two years after Hurricane Katrina, we remember those individuals who lost their lives, and will do all we can to make sure this type of disaster response never happens again.
Two years ago, Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi, one of the worst natural disasters in the history of America. In the weeks and months following the disaster, the Bush White House and Republican-led Congress did little to help the survivors of Katrina, despite Democratic efforts to do so.
Once again, President Bush has misled the American people. Today, President Bush met with veterans and military families, inaccurately stating that Congress did not want to give military families a pay raise. In truth, President Bush threatened to veto a Democratic proposal to increase troops' pay because he thought it would be too costly.
This is a disgrace. FEMA "supressed warnings from its own Gulf coast field workers since the middle of 2006 about suspected health problems that may be linked to elevated levels of formaldehyde gas released in FEMA-provided trailers."
With FEMA asking families who currently live in government provided trailers, including Hurricanes Katrina victims, to buy them, House Democrats are pushing to make housing more affordable.
A report by the Government Accountability Office found that large businesses are exploiting rules intended to give small businesses a chance to compete for contracts to help rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.
President Bush is in Louisiana and Mississippi today, eighteen months after his Administration's incompetence following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita further devastated the Gulf Coast. The American people watched in horror then as pictures of the disaster filled our TV screens, yet immediately following the disaster, the American people also saw their President playing the guitar and eating birthday cake while their fellow Americans suffered.
This week marks Character Counts Week. The Bush White House even issued a proclamation encouraging “Americans to remember the importance of good character” this week. [Whitehouse.gov, 10/13/06] Over the last five years, President Bush and the Do-Nothing Republican Congress, with their failed policies and rubberstamp oversight, seem to have forgotten the importance of the six pillars of character celebrated by schools across the country. President Bush reaffirms his rejection of these key principles today as he attends fundraisers for two ethically-challenged Republican incumbents.
Today, Vice President Cheney is in the midst of a PR swing through New Orleans raising money for Republicans, but he wont be visiting any of the areas of the city that were flooded. More than one year after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita much of New Orleans remains devastated and many of the area's residents have not been able to return. It seems the Bush Administration has been too distracted - either by its failed strategy in Iraq or its inability to make Americans more safe and secure - to do what's needed for Louisiana. Instead of posing for photo-ops while in town, Vice President Cheney should explain what happened to the Administration's commitment to rebuilding the Gulf Coast and to ensuring that New Orleans is not kept on the back burner.
One year ago today, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, President Bush stood in Jackson Square in New Orleans and pledged "bold action." Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters in our nation's history and the President promised to make the communities of the Gulf Coast "even better and stronger than before the storm." Unfortunately, a year has passed and many of the White House's promises have not been kept, transportation systems are still in disrepair and schools and hospitals face numerous problems.
In the same week Americans commemorated the fifth anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks, and less than two weeks after the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Congressional Republicans in Washington are again blocking Democratic efforts to fund improved communications...
Yesterday, the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual data on the numbers of Americans who are living in poverty and are uninsured
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina's one year anniversary, Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson, Ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, delivers this week's Democratic Radio Address.
This week, the DNC's Podcast hosted Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio's 11th District. In her interview, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones discussed her recent tour of the Gulf Coast region and criticized President Bush for failing to do more for the victims of Hurricane Katrina a full year after the storm devastated the Gulf Coast.
A multibillion-dollar housing program, which paid rent for thousands of families forced to evacuate their homes because of the damage from Hurricane Katrina, could be coming to an end as early as this week. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (F.E.M.A.),...
A year ago today, President Bush was playing a guitar (see it, here) while the Gulf Coast lay in ruins and the City of New Orleans drowned... President Bush: Bush Continued PR Tour To Turn Around Lagging Support For Iraq...
A year ago today, despite warnings by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin about the severity of Hurricane Katrina and with images of chaos erupting in the streets and the worsening conditions in New Orleans filling the nation's television sets, President Bush chose instead to focus on his PR campaign to turn around lagging public support for the war in Iraq.
A year ago today, President Bush was attending pricey fundraisers and eating cake while the Gulf Coast was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. President Bush: Bush In Arizona Campaigning Hard To “Pre-Sell” A Political Victory at 12pm ET. Bush talked to...
Governor Howard Dean: "Katrina and its tragic aftermath serve as a painful reminder that too many of our fellow Americans live and struggle in poverty. As we mark this anniversary, we should remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King...
Today our nation officially marks the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. As we remember the Americans who lost their lives, those who are still trying to return home, and those who are struggling to move on with their lives, we also assess the work that still needs to be done to rebuild the Gulf Coast.
A column in today's Hearst newspapers points out that despite President Bush's promise to rebuild the Gulf Coast, the only thing he's focused on building is a public relations campaign to save his Republican rubber-stamps in Congress this November.
Thousands of victims have been misplaced and more than a thousand lives were lost. On the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we must reflect. We must take this time to remember those individuals who lost their lives, and...
Asked whether New Orleans’ levees could withstand another storm, Federal Emergency Management Agency Director David Paulison said, "I don't know whether they'd hold or not. It really doesn't matter because that whole area is in an evacuation zone." It is precisely this kind of short-sighted thinking that has made America less safe under the Republican watch. The 9/11 Commission noted earlier this month that troubling gaps in our homeland security still exist.
This week, Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana delivered the Democratic Radio Address. To listen to the audio, click here. Good Morning. I'm Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. A year ago this Tuesday, Hurricane Katrina rolled across the Gulf Coast, leaving...
Next week marks the one year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the worse natural disasters in our nation's history. President Bush's mishandling of Hurricane Katrina was a defining moment in the Bush Presidency, which destroyed Americans' confidence in President Bush's ability to deal with a crisis.
August 29, 2006 marks the one year anniversary of the natural disaster that changed the lives of Americans all across the country, Hurricane Katrina. As we reflect on the aftermath of this deadly event, we remember the things that did...
On August 29th 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall and a devastated Gulf Coast was left in her wake. On September 15th, with nation in shock over America’s worst natural disaster and angered by the vastly inadequate governmental response, Bush...
One week from today, America will mark the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
While there are many official timelines for the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina (Think Progress has a good one), it is interesting to view the disaster through the eyes of the DNC Blog. Take a look at our entire Hurricane Katrina...
As the school year begins for students across the country, the routine for registration and preparation is no longer the same for Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans. With the one year anniversary approaching, parents who are trying to register...
August 29th is the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall. While the natural destructive power of Hurricane Katrina was awesome, much of the responsibility for the many failures before, during and after Katrina rests squarely with the Bush Administration and Congressional...
As a present on the first day of Hurricane Season, Republicans have cut in half grants for security and disaster preparedness in the city of New Orleans. This comes as residents of New York City and Washington DC (myself included)...
The Bush Administration has once again demonstrated that it doesn’t have its priorities straight when it comes to keeping America safe. This year, the Republican-led Congress slashed funding for urban grants, which are used to help first responders in the event of a terrorist attack or a disaster, by $600 million.
In the midst of sagging approval ratings for the Bush Administration and their failed policies including the mishandling of Hurricane Katrina, Vice President Dick Cheney will be at Louisiana State University today. Meanwhile a majority of New Orleans residents remain displaced, the rebuilding effort continues to be slow and hurricane season is around the corner.
In an ongoing attempt to fight low public opinion of his mishandling and failed response to Hurricane Katrina, President Bush will visit the Gulf Coast today for a photo-op.
I think it's impossible to NOT think about Katrina in a sincere and emotional way before the plane even touches ground in New Orleans. McConaha leaned over to me and mentioned the fact that the airport itself was transformed into...
Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan dusted off the Bush Administration's most trusted stonewalling strategies. When confronted with uncomfortable facts and legitimate questions they attack the messenger and deflect attention away from the issues and refuse to answer questions.
In an attempt to close the rift that has been growing between the Bush White House and the Republican-led Congress over a host of issues, President Bush has tapped former OMB head Josh Bolten as his new chief of staff. However, Bolton’s relations with the GOP-led Congress are not as warm as White House operatives would have many believe.
An article in today's
Washington Post reports that the Bush Administration underestimated the costs of rebuilding the New Orleans's levees to meet federal standards and there may not be enough funds to protect the region from another catastrophic hurricane.
Today, President Bush will visit Louisiana and Mississippi in a desperate attempt to combat criticism of his mishandling and failed response to Hurricane Katrina.
Governor Dean on the president's trip today to the hurricane ravaged Gulf Coast: "President Bush's public relations campaign of cover ups and photo-ops won't help rebuild the Gulf Coast. This President's empty promises, failure to produce genuine results, and the...
A new video released by the Associated Press of the briefing President Bush received days before Hurricane Katrina struck, contradicts statements the President later made in defense of his Administration's failed response.
The White House responded quickly to the bombshell AP report that President Bush was fully briefed on the potential of the levees breaking and lied to the American people four days later during an interview with ABC News when he...
The Associated Press has obtained video footage from a briefing attended by Michael Brown, President Bush, hurricane experts, and a host of others in which Bush is clearly warned of the dangerous levee situation in New Orleans, despite saying: "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."
After a week where President Bush was forced to explain a controversial port deal and the failed response to Hurricane Katrina, Americans were reminded that this Administration has failed to take aggressive action to prepare the country against potential threats to our national security.
This week, the Democratic National Committee's Podcast features an interview with Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu. Following a House report issued last week by Republican Rep. Tom Davis, Senator Landrieu criticized the Bush Administration's response to Hurricane Katrina. "Having the Republican...
Associated Press/Ipsos. 1,000 Adults. February 13-16, 2006. MoE +/- 3.1% "Which do you think should be the higher priority for government spending: the war in Iraq or recovery from Hurricane Katrina?" Iraq: 31% Katrina: 64% Unsure: 5% "Thinking about the...
This week, Republican members of the House of Representatives will release a report that is highly critical of the Bush Administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina.
Associated Press: The deaths and suffering of thousands of Hurricane Katrina's victims might have been avoided if the government had heeded lessons from the 2001 terror attacks and taken a proactive stance toward disaster preparedness, a House inquiry concludes. But...
We knew that the Bush Adminstration was aware Hurricane Katrina was determined to strike the Gulf Coast, potentially "breach levees," cause "massive flooding," and that there could be "major losses of life." We knew they had this information at least...
College Democrats will begin their New Year for New Orleans program, a community recovery project in partnership with Tulane College Democrats, Louisiana College Democrats, ACORN and various other organizations. The four-day program will bring volunteers together from all over the country to help rebuild and revitalize New Orleans.
An article in the
Washington Post today contradicted claims by the Bush Administration that they were caught off guard by Hurricane Katrina, disclosing that the Administration was given a report on the damage Hurricane Katrina would cause two hours before the hurricane.
In the 48 hours before Hurricane Katrina hit, the White House received detailed warnings about the storm's likely impact, including eerily prescient predictions of breached levees, massive flooding, and major losses of life and property, documents show.
Today. President Bush visited New Orleans and Mississippi to talk about Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts. Since his last visit to the devastated region, the Administration's attention has waned from Gulf Coast recovery efforts as the President has been preoccupied with his sinking poll numbers, his mismanagement of the war in Iraq, and the Washington Republican culture of corruption which has reached as far as his own Administration.
Today, local officials are scheduled to testify before a House committee about the government's failed response to Hurricane Katrina. At the same time activists and clergy will hold a rally in Washington to call on President Bush and the federal government to honor their commitment to rebuilding America's communities and helping our fellow Americans who were displaced by the storm.
With the media a-twitter over the RNC's use of the web to discuss national priorities, it's easy to gloss over what has been forgotten. The day was September 14, 2005 and President Bush suffered a 39% approval rating in response...
New York Times: The rumbling from Washington that the proposed cost of better levees is too much has grown louder. Pretending we are going to do the necessary work eventually, while stalling until the next hurricane season is upon us,...
It has been one hundred days since the Gulf States were hit by the most devastating natural disaster to ever face this country, and yet many of the victims and areas affected by Hurricane Katrina are still struggling to recover.
Listed below is an article from the Washington Post revealing the serious consequences resulting from lack of congressional oversight of federal agencies by the Republican-led Congress.
Using Hurricane Katrina reconstruction efforts as an excuse, the Bush Administration is proposing to cut some of the programs that thousands of hurricane survivors are relying on to recover and rebuild.
I was fortunate to see dedication and compassion from my fellow Democrats to help him and other Americans in this time of tragedy. I feel my reaction to this man's plight truly reflects my core values and priorities as a Democrat.
After some fast-track training at the National Headquarters of the American Red Cross, we were warned to be prepared for fast deployment. They weren't kidding, either.
NPR has a report with a series of phone calls among local officials in Louisiana where you can clearly hear them making necessary preparations for the coming storm, while help from FEMA was delayed for days.
In the aftermath of our nation's worst natural disaster, the Republicans in Congress and President Bush still refuse to independently investigate the failures in the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina.
It's nice to know that Michael Brown thought the biggest problem with FEMA's response was going on news shows instead of holding press conferences. Something tells me the people of the Gulf Coast who lost their homes thought FEMA should have other priorities.
Fresh off his last job as head of FEMA, Michael Brown has been shopping his half-fake resume around Washington looking for a job that would fit him as well as his time with Arabian horses. Well, where does a former FEMA director go after resigning in shame? Back to FEMA!
Today, President Bush said that given record gas prices, the American people must make sacrifices. Specifically, he said that Americans should avoid driving on trips that are “not essential” and that federal agencies should “curtail nonessential travel.”
Despite the fact that the cuts are overwhelmingly responsible for the record federal deficits and overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest sliver of Americans, Republicans refuse to call for the most minimal sacrifices.
As the people of the Gulf Coast begin the long road to recovery after the worst natural disaster in American history, President Bush is choosing to use this tragedy to push his conservative political agenda on the region.
Listed below is an article from USA Today chronicling the shortage of communications equipment facing our National Guardsmen as they work to restore order in the Gulf Coast.
Hurricane Katrina tested the ability of the Department of Homeland Security to respond to a major national emergency. Unfortunately, the newly created agency failed miserably, as thousands were left stranded in the Gulf Coast.
While Hurricane Katrina revealed deep social and economic fault lines that left large groups of Americans disproportionately vulnerable, low income Americans with disabilities were among the hardest hit by this crisis.
Why was Governor Blanco unable to get through to the President? Why did the "Western White House" fail to respond in the case of the biggest natural disaster to ever hit the United States?
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement on the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Did Karl Rove, as the official in charge of reconstruction efforts, sign off on assigning no-bid contracts worth at least $100 million to companies such as Bechtel Inc., Fluor Corp. and Kellogg Brown and Root? If not, who did?
In advance of President Bush's address this evening in New Orleans, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement urging President Bush not to use the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina to implement an ideological agenda that rolls back environmental protections and workers' rights.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today criticized Senate Republicans for playing politics with an investigation into how and why the federal government failed so miserably to respond in an adequate and timely manner to Hurricane Katrina.
With $100 million handed out in no-bid contracts to corporate cronies, why is the Administration cutting wages for the working people in the Gulf that are victims of the storm?
Bush loves to use first responders as a human shield to deflect criticism away from himself. He does the same thing with Iraq when he implies that criticism of his policies is the same as criticizing the troops.
Wait, I'm confused...didn't the President think "Brownie" was doing a "heck of a job"?
Just one day after the Washington Post reported that 600 Mississippi Guardsmen would not be granted leave to inspect damage to their homes from Hurricane Katrina and despite substantial evidence of an inadequate federal response to the worst natural disaster in American history, President Bush claimed "we've got plenty of troops" - on the ground in Iraq and the Gulf Coast/
Today, we remember the great loss suffered by the victims, their families and loved ones on September 11, 2001, but we also remember the heroism, generosity and spirit of our first responders and ordinary Americans.
Rep. Richard Baker (R-LA): "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."
I was sent this message from Melissa Noriega, the wife of Texas State Representative Rick Noriega who is also a Leuteniant Colonel in the US Army. Last week, Houston Mayor Bill White appointed him to run operations at the George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB as it's in the letter), which houses 4000 evacuees. Lt. Colonel Noriega just returned from a tour in Afghanistan, and while there his wife Melissa held his seat in the Texas legislature.
Oregon's own Congressman Earl Blumenauer warned in January that preparations were needed to save New Orleans from a disasterous hurricane and ensuing flood.
The tragedy that continues to unfold in the Gulf Coast is a direct result of Brown's incompetence -- and of President Bush's decision to put FEMA in the hands of a crony who would work to dismantle the organization.
Paul Krugman looks at the anatomy of failed policy and failed leadership.
Must Read: "Point Those Fingers" By Paul Krugman New York Times September 9, 2005 To understand the history of the Bush administration's response to disaster, just follow the catchphrases. First, look at 2001 Congressional testimony by Joseph Allbaugh, President...
All of us here have been receiving many messages from friends and colleagues offering opportunities to help the relief efforts.
Look to her efforts in the State Department to lead the way on covering up administration failures, smearing critics who try to tell the truth, and spinning the hell out of this story.
There are hundreds of relief organizations working in the Gulf States today to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Please take a moment to contribute what you can to aid them in their efforts.
Two new polls show Americans give President George W. Bush poor marks for his handling of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, with one survey showing that Bush is now losing support even among his Republican base.
It's nice to see that Governor Perry has found an opportunity to promote his personal projects as well.
This afternoon, DNC Chairman Howard Dean addressed the National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. in Miami.
In the wake of the worst natural catastrophe to ever hit the United States, newspaper editorials published around the country in recent days are calling for accountability from the Bush Administration for the lack of an adequate and timely federal response, and for answers about the federal government's preparedness for catastrophic events.
All over the country, Democratic Governors have pledged massive resources -- first responders, shelter, supplies, and much more -- to help Gulf Coast residents.
