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Pelosi to Hastert: Immediately Establish a Select Hurricane Relief Task Force

September 5, 2005

Pelosi to Hastert: Immediately Establish a Select Hurricane Relief Task Force

Monday, September 5, 2005

Contact: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. â€" House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi today sent Speaker Dennis Hastert a letter urging the House establish a Select Hurricane Relief Task Force to quickly respond to the crisis caused by Hurricane Katrina and to fully investigate why the initial response was unsatisfactory.

The text of the letter follows:

September 5, 2005

The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
Speaker of the House of Representatives
H-230 The Capitol
Washington, D. C. 20515

Dear Mr. Speaker:

The continuing tragedy along our Gulf Coast demands that I write you once again to urge you to immediately organize a Select Hurricane Relief Task Force to address the emergency assistance and recovery needs of the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and to investigate why the initial response fell so far short of what was needed.

Any time that we have had a misfortune of this caliber in our country, we have had a bipartisan investigation to find out what went wrong. In this case, we need accountability as to why the assistance was inadequate, as well as to whether the people in key positions possessed the appropriate experience and skills to address a crisis of this magnitude.

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated to you in my letter of September 1, the scope of this crisis crosses so many jurisdictional lines that a special Task Force is required. A Hurricane Relief Task Force would be composed of Members of the respective leaderships, Chairmen and ranking Democrats of committees with jurisdiction, as well as Members from the region and others. Waiting for multiple committees to act on a crisis of such breadth is not acceptable.

The task force would focus on critical areas, including public health and sanitation, education, public safety, income security, housing, energy supplies, veterans' benefits, national transportation infrastructure, commerce, and the safety and adequacy of food supplies.

Mr. Speaker, time is of the essence. Millions of Americans who have been devastated by this disaster and the entire American family are turning to their elected representatives to respond with expedited policies. We must assure a prompt and thorough response by creating a Select Hurricane Relief Task Force.

Sincerely,

Nancy Pelosi