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CNN Live Today
Senator Lieberman, Senator Collins Calling to Have Hearings on Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina; President Bush Discusses Katrina Disaster with Cabinet
Aired September 06, 2005 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And pumps are finally draining floodwaters out of New Orleans. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has patched a ruptured levee. That was along the 17th street canal. Officials, though, say it could take about three month to remove the water from some of the New Orleans neighborhoods.
We're going to ahead and start this hour in Texas. That is a temporary home for quarter million storm victims. A plan to bus thousands evacuees from the Astrodome to more comfortable quarters aboard a cruise ship is actually on hold. Our Keith Oppenheim joins us now from Houston to tell us more about the change in plan.
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn. There are about 25,000 evacuees on this Astrodome campus as well as another convention center in Houston. And the idea of the cruise ships seemed like a good one and a creative one, to take 4,000 of the evacuees, send them to two cruise ships off Galveston, about a 45 minutes bus ride away, relieve some of the numbers of evacuees here and give all these people a place to go.
A priority would be elderly evacuees who might appreciate a cruise ship environment. And also the priority was not to split up families. That entire plan has been put on hold because there just weren't enough takers. In part, people didn't want to make yet another transition from one shelter to another.
And another reason is that people are looking for loved ones, in some cases, children. So I think what this all speaks to is that people really want some community right now, either because they're using that community to look for people that they're still trying to find, or in other cases, that they're trying to start a new life and using the network that they have around here to get apartments, to get a job.
The cruise ship concept, at least at this point, seemed to be too cut off for many of the people who are now at the Astrodome complex. Back to you.
KAGAN: Keith, how long do they seem prepared to put people up there at the Astrodome and Reliant Center?
OPPENHEIM: The length of time they often get -- and I think this should just be put in context. The length of time that you get is two weeks. This is a temporary shelter that people will stay here for a minimum period of time until they can get to smaller shelter either closer to home or apartments or places like that.
But there is long-term expectation that some people could be here for considerably longer than that because this transition process takes time. Some people don't even have any identification around here. They have no license, they have no credit cards. They've got to do a lot to get back on their feet.
KAGAN: They have literally nothing, just the clothes on their back. Keith Oppenheim, thank you, outside the Astrodome in Houston.
Well, some evacuees in Houston are already moving on with life, a new life in Texas. Our Sean Callebs takes a look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For thousands of evacuees, this was the first glimpse of Houston. Not a crowded shelter, but a community, willing to embrace them when they needed it most.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: God bless you, thank you so much.
CALLEBS: Many of the 250,000 evacuees in Texas say they want to make Houston home for good. So that means asking a lot of questions.
MALE POLICE OFFICER: What is it you're looking for, social security?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: FEMA, the housing where they're going to...
MALE POLICE OFFICER: FEMA housing?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
CALLEBS (voice-over): Today, 38-year-old Mona Lisa Wright ventured outside the Astrodome complex for the first time since arriving last Thursday. She wants to bring her 13-year-old son here from where he is temporarily staying in Mississippi and start a new life. Mona Lisa says she has 15 years experience as a certified nurse assistant.
MONA LISA WRIGHT, EVACUEE: I'm going to be looking at hospitals, looking at places to find a nice area for my home and be able to get back and forth, going shopping, getting household stuff.
CALLEBS: Wal-Mart is vowing to find jobs for any of its workers displaced by the storm, like Estelle Lewis, who is starting work in the deli of a Houston Wal-Mart. Four days ago, she was sleep on this now notorious overpass in New Orleans, wondering if she would live or die. It won't be easy but Estelle says she's never going back.
ESTELLE LEWIS, EVACUEE: Yes, that's my goal is to just make Houston my home, live here, get an apartment, which I haven't gotten yet because I don't have the money to get it.
CALLEBS: Robert Eckels is a top Harris County official working with evacuees. ROBERT ECKELS, HARRIS COUNTY OFFICIAL: These are not the people you're seeing looting on the streets of New Orleans. These families with kids, these are folks who had jobs there in New Orleans. They may have been on a lower rung of the economic ladder, but they're hard-working folks who are ready to make a new life here.
WRIGHT: I like it. I like the atmosphere, I like the people. They're nice and kind. I think this is where my new life is going start, right here in Texas.
CALLEBS: In the coming weeks, people are going to debate what to do about New Orleans. But, like Mona Lisa Wright, many evacuees won't wait for that. They have to rebuild their lives starting right now.
Sean Callebs, CNN, Houston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And we wish them well as they go on doing that.
Two former presidents are weighing in on the criticism of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina. George H. W. Bush, Bush 41, and Bill Clinton are setting up a fund for hurricane victims. The elder Bush also defended his son's effort to deal with the crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE H. W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: People want to blame someone. I've never been much for the Monday-morning quarterbacking. And to be very candid, Larry, I think some of the criticism had been grossly unfair, particularly when they suggest the president doesn't care and all of that.
You have to understand that people that are hurting are going to criticize. I thought President Clinton put it pretty well today when he said, "Let's get on with it and then there'll be plenty of time to assign blame."
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our government failed those people in the beginning. And I take it now, there is no dispute about it, 100 percent of the people recognize that it was a failure. And I personally believe there should be a serious analysis of it. I have my own ideas about what caused it, but I don't think we should do it now.
I think that in a few weeks, we should have some sort of Katrina commission, should be bipartisan, non-partisan, whatever. We ought to really look at this as I always try to. What is the best structure, and what are the best kinds of personnel decisions you can make to be good in emergency management?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: The former presidents have visited with hundreds of storm victims who were evacuated from Houston. We want to show you some new pictures we're getting in to us here at CNN. Back to New Orleans for these. This is coming from the historic Garden District of New Orleans. We understand this is one of the historic Victorian homes in the area, this fire taking place earlier today.
Once again, even if the water is down in some parts of some neighborhood, very difficult to get any kind of firefighters or any kind of help to attack any kind of fire. Once again, these pictures coming from the Garden District of New Orleans, the historic Garden District and the historic Victorian home.
Well, thanks to help from their fellow American, thousands of Hurricane Katrina survivors are finding shelter and relief across the country. And for some, the move could be permanent. Daniel Sieberg takes a look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHERIFF DIANE HARRIS, BUTLER COUNTY, ALABAMA: There's a lady here that's looking for a family of two with kids. They have two bedrooms that they're making available. Anybody that needs a place to stay, just get with them and we'll get you situated. Thank you so much.
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Greenville, Alabama, population 7,000, is not a wealthy city. But the rich generosity of its residents has overwhelmed many of the 500 or so Katrina survivors that discovered its small town charm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have just opened their hearts and their arms and they've shown true citizen love all the way.
SIEBERG: At a Labor Day barbecue organized for evacuees, the spirit of neighborly help is hard to miss.
JEDDO BELL, VICE MAYOR, GREENVILLE, ALABAMA: This is how we live from day to day. We live very closely and we work together, and that's what it's all about. That's the thing that makes the thing tick. That's the thing that makes it stick.
SIEBERG (on-camera): And it sound like you guys could maybe give the federal government a lesson.
REV. FREDRICK LINDSTROM, JR., ST. THOMAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Well, it was wonderful because we didn't have the red tape.
SIEBERG (voice-over): The town's Department of Human Resources acts as the command center. It's where we found Katina Fullard (ph) and her 3-year-old daughter McCaleigh, from Gulfport, Mississippi. Katina's car ran out of gas as she fled the storm.
KATINA FULLARD, EVACUEE: All these policemen that saw us and everything's, why didn't they stop or try to help us or anything? They just looked at us like whatever. And Greenville, that I've gotten, I've gotten a lot of hospitality, good people. I've never been to a town to where people are so nice and so giving.
SIEBERG: At the donation center, items flow in. All the basics these people have lost. Casper Gilio (ph) from just outside New Orleans is trying to do what he can to provide for his family.
CASPER GILIO, EVACUEE: I talked to my boss for the first time today. You know, I told my oldest he's going to have to be the man of the family, take care of his mom and little brother. And I'm just trying to get some clothes together so I can send some clothes to them because she said things are kind of tough over there.
SIEBERG: The streets here are quiet right now. It is the Labor Day holiday, after all. But in the coming days and week, there'll be some new faces around town, because some of the folks who fled the hurricane have decided to call Greenville their home. Like four generations of Karen Davis's (ph) family. The hurricane virtually destroyed their town of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
KAREN DAVIS, EVACUEE: I'm so thankful for Alabama. The people that's here are wonderful.
SIEBERG (on-camera): What was the hardest part?
DAVIS: Going and seeing our houses, when we come back. That was the hardest. Seeing everything we had destroyed. That was the hardest thing for me. And my car, my house, everything I had in it. Things that I'd had all my life.
SIEBERG (voice-over: Karen and tens of thousands like her must now start over. Not many will be as lucky as those who have made it to this town.
Daniel Sieberg, CNN, Greenville, Alabama.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: We realize that the numbers in the story can be so immense and overwhelming, you forget that this is actually many millions, perhaps, individual stories all added up to one. We are committed to bringing you many of those individual stories, including that of Dwayne Cormier, he is joining us now from the Astrodome, from New Orleans, Dwayne?
DWAYNE CORMIER, EVACUEE: Yes, ma'am, yes ma'am.
KAGAN: And as I understand it, you stayed behind, and because you stayed behind, you've now become separated from your family.
CORMIER: Yes.
KAGAN: When was the last time you had contact with them?
CORMIER: Sunday, the date before the evacuation.
KAGAN: And what was the decision you and your family made, for them to go ahead? And do you have any idea which direction they headed in?
CORMIER: Well, last conversation I had, they was headed toward Texas. But I don't know exactly what part of Texas they was headed to.
KAGAN: And why did you choose to stay behind?
CORMIER: Why did I choose to?
KAGAN: Yes.
CORMIER: Because I had no transportation to get out of the city at that time.
KAGAN: And so did you end up at the convention center or the Superdome?
CORMIER: The Superdome.
KAGAN: And were those conditions as horrific as we've been hearing?
CORMIER: Yes. Yes, it was terrible. It was terrible.
KAGAN: So when were you able to make it to Houston?
CORMIER: I got in yesterday.
KAGAN: And how was that, to get to the Astrodome, to get some food, to get some water, to get, perhaps, a shower and cleaned up?
CORMIER: Well, I haven't really been through that process yet. I'm really concerned about my family and how they're doing, how everybody's doing.
KAGAN: And so what are you able to do, what kind of help are you able to get, in trying to figure out where they are, since Texas is such a huge place and that's so many different places in Texas that people went to?
CORMIER: Right, right. That's why, you know, I asked for you all's assistance.
KAGAN: All right, tell us who you're looking for.
CORMIER: Come again?
KAGAN: Tell us who you're looking for. Give us names.
CORMIER: I'm looking for Ernestine Johnston (ph) and family and two twin boys by the name of Dwayne and Darius Perkins (ph).
KAGAN: And are those your sons?
CORMIER: Them are my sons, right.
KAGAN: Your sons. And Ernestine is?
CORMIER: Is a real close friend of mine.
KAGAN: OK. And if they are watching CNN, perhaps where they are, or...
CORMIER: Hopefully they are.
KAGAN: ... if somebody who's with them, how would you like them to get in touch with you?
CORMIER: Well, I have numbers I want to give out to them.
KAGAN: And we're putting the numbers up at the bottom of the screen, so we're going to do that again. Go ahead.
CORMIER: OK, the first number is right here in Houston, and it's 988-8048. And the second number is my sister off in Lafayette.
KAGAN: And that number...
CORMIER: She's also waiting and concerned.
KAGAN: 337 --
CORMIER: 337-984-0617.
KAGAN: And give us the names once again, who you're looking for.
CORMIER: Ernestine Johnson and her family, Dwayne and Darius Perkins (ph), which are my sons.
KAGAN: And you believe they are somewhere in Texas. Hopefully, they are well.
CORMIER: Last I heard, last I heard. Hopefully.
KAGAN: We wish you well in reconnecting...
CORMIER: I have a strong feeling they are, I just need to hear something, or know something. Their whereabouts or something.
KAGAN: We wish you well in connecting with your family.
CORMIER: Thank you.
KAGAN: Dwayne Cormier. It's been a long, long road. And I know it won't even begin to be complete until you get in touch with your loved ones. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
Thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims are now in Houston, like Dwayne Cormier, looking for a new place to call home. The city of Houston dealing with their immediate needs and where to locate them.
The president and Congress grappling with what Washington's role should be. A live report from Capitol Hill is coming up. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: At the Supreme Court this morning, the public paying respects to the nation's 16th chief justice. William Rehnquist's body will remain in the great hall of the Supreme Court until noon tomorrow. His coffin rests on the platform used for President Lincoln. Burial at Arlington National Cemetery tomorrow will be private.
Rehnquist's colleagues from the Supreme Court lined the building's steps this morning, including former law clerks, which include chief justice nominee John Roberts, carrying the casket into the court. A live picture there from the Supreme Court.
We learned just a few minutes ago Robert's Senate confirmation hearings will begin on Monday. Rehnquist died Saturday at the age of 80. He battled thyroid cancer for nearly a year. So the confirmation hearings of John Roberts just one of the things for Congress to get to as it returns to work today after summer vacation. Its agenda has been overtaken by news events. We have congressional correspondent Ed Henry on Capitol Hill.
Ed, good morning.
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Darn. You're absolutely right, as Congress returns from recess today, the focus was supposed to be all about John Roberts. The opening day of his confirmation was to be associate justice to the Supreme Court. That, of course, changed dramatically by two events, the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, as well as the destruction, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf region.
So instead, today, Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy told CNN this morning it would be unseemly for those hearings to move forward for John Roberts, who now of course has been appointed chief justice, to replace his former mentor on the high court.
So just moments ago, Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter announced that, in fact, the hearings will not kick off this week. They will kick off Monday at noon to be precise. And Senator Leahy and other lawmakers noted that they want to pour their energies this week instead into starting some investigations into what went wrong and why it took so long for the federal government to respond to the hurricane.
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: We know that a huge number of mistakes were made. What we want to know is find out what they were, how they happened, so that if, God forbid, we have another disaster like this, the same mistakes won't be made.
HENRY: Now, Senator Hillary Clinton is now pushing along those lines for an independent commission, modeled on the 9/11 commission, to probe precisely what went wrong, to prevent it from happening again.
Also, several congressional committees planning to get in on the action. In fact, the Senate energy committee today will be the first congressional panel to hold a hearing on this matter. Specifically, they're zeroing in on price gouging, alleged price gouging, by gas stations all across the country.
But also, Senators Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins, their committee has oversight over FEMA, which has taken a big hit, a big beating publicly from a lot of lawmakers, as well as oversight over the Department of Homeland Security, which is facing some tough questions.
They're going to kick off hearings in a few week. They want to wait and give these emergency personnel a chance to finish the job in New Orleans, in Mississippi, and in Alabama, before they haul them before Congress.
Also, lawmakers today will get a chance to speak directly to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. He's coming up tonight for a closed-door briefing for all senators. Then, a closed-door briefing later tonight for all house members. Also, congressional leaders today in this jam packed schedule going to the White House this afternoon to meet with President Bush to talk about response to Hurricane Katrina.
Among various things, they've already passed $10 billion, as you know, in emergency relief. They're also talking about passing a much bigger package of emergency relief. Tens of billions of dollars more in upcoming weeks, as well as an economic stimulus package to get people in the hard hit regions back on their feet, find jobs for them. Also, possibly, a second energy bill to deal with those gas prices -- Daryn?
KAGAN: Ed, let me just say, the president holding a cabinet meeting today. We have videotape coming from that many meeting in just about a minute. But while we wait for that tape to come in, let's talk about this idea of a commission. So you hear members of Congress calling for that? Is it the president who ultimately has to make that call?
HENRY: It is the president who has to make that call. And I think one of the questions you're going to start hearing from some critics of the federal government's response is, "What about Congress' response as well?" President Bush has taken a bit of a hit here public relations-wise about why the Bush administration perhaps did not fund the levee construction and the solidifying of the levees down in New Orleans, and why FEMA did not react quickly enough, but there are also going to be questions about Congress...
KAGAN: Ed, let me just jump in. Hold that thought. Ed, hold that thought. Let's listen to the videotape now, it's a cabinet meeting at the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you all for coming. My message to the Cabinet this morning is this: This administration's not going to rest until every life can be saved, until families are reconnected, until this recovery is complete.
Our immediate goals are these: We want to complete the search and recovery, we want to restore essential services, we want to drain the water in the affected areas and begin removing debris, we want to, and are, assessing public health and safety matters.
I've asked the vice president to go down to the affected region on Thursday. He will go down to assess our recovery efforts. He will help me determine whether or not we're meeting these goals. He will work with Secretary Chertoff and others to make sure that we remove any bureaucratic obstacles that may be preventing us from achieving our goals.
In other words, bureaucracy's not going to stand in the way of getting the job done for the people.
I was briefed on plans to immediately help our folks, plans to reconnect families, plans to make sure health care is available -- Secretary Leavitt gave me a good briefing -- plans on housing, both immediate and long-term housing.
Most importantly, I was briefed by members of my Cabinet about how we're going to make sure that people who are owed a Social Security check get their Social Security check. At the center in Baton Rouge I went to yesterday, I remember clearly a person saying, "When am I going to get my Social Security check?" And it's important that people understand, we have a strategy to make sure that benefits that are due are going to get to them.
Now, we understand people are scattered out across the country, but we have an obligation to make sure that, whether a veteran's benefit or an unemployment benefit or a Social Security benefit, gets to these people.
BUSH: And so we will have a strategy in place, and we're going to implement that strategy, to find people who are in those shelters or in churches or in private homes and get them the benefits.
A lot of people are doing good work. But we've got a heck of a lot more work to do. And that's exactly what this government's going to do.
QUESTION: Mr. President, do you intend to replace any from your administration who are leading this recovery effort who were part of the effort last week that has been so widely criticized?
BUSH: What I intend to do is to lead an investigation to find out what went right and what went wrong. And I'll tell you why: It's very important for us to understand the relationship between the federal government, the state government and the local government when it comes to a major catastrophe.
And the reason it's important is that we still live in an unsettled world. We want to make sure that we can respond properly if there's a WMD attack or another major storm.
And so I'm going to find out over time what went right and what went wrong.
QUESTION: Secretary Chertoff has talked about being disturbed that the information on (OFF-MIKE). Just from what you know of authorities, do you think that more went wrong at the local or state level than the federal level? (OFF-MIKE) to sort it out?
BUSH: I think that one of the things that people want us to do here is to play a blame game.
BUSH: We've got to solve problems. We're problem solvers. There'll be ample time for people to figure out what went right and what went wrong.
What I'm interested is helping save lives. That's what I want to do.
And I want to make sure those poor folks who have been taken out of their communities and who live in a -- whose world has been shattered get the help they need.
And then we want to help New Orleans rebuild. And we want to see Biloxi rise again.
And, you know, I was with the mayor of Waveland the other day, from Mississippi. His town was completely destroyed. What I'm interested in is helping that man, and that community, get back on their feet. That's where my focus is.
There will be ample time to assess. And we need to assess. And this administration will be part of the assessment as to what went wrong, because, I repeat, we've got to have as good a relationship as possible with all levels of government to be able to respond to major problems.
And if things went wrong, we'll correct them. And when things went right, we'll duplicate them.
QUESTION: Mr. President, on the Supreme Court, do you have a candidate in mind? Now that you have a second opportunity, are you more inclined to follow the first lady's advice and choose a woman?
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: First of all, I'm proud of my nominee to be the chief. And the goal is to get this good person confirmed by the time the court convenes this fall.
See, they're going to need the chief. And therefore, the Senate needs to have, obviously, a thorough debate about Judge Roberts, and get him confirmed quickly, so that when the court convenes, there is a chief justice.
BUSH: And I was deliberate in my process last time; I'll be deliberative this time.
Obviously, I interviewed a lot of good candidates last time. I still will continue to reach out and make sure every good candidate is considered.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
BUSH: The list is wide open, which should create some good speculation here in Washington.
(LAUGHTER)
And make sure you notice when I said that I looked right at Al Gonzales so we can really create speculation.
(LAUGHTER)
I'm not through yet.
This is important for people to understand. I want the Senate to focus not on who the next nominee is going to be, but the nominee I got up there now. And it's important for the country that they complete the work.
And in the meantime, the country can be assured that I'll take a good long look at who should replace Justice O'Connor.
I called her from Air Force One yesterday and told her of my decision to name John Roberts to be the chief. And her first reaction was that she better get back to doing her homework. And she said so somewhat tongue in cheek, but she's right. She'll be there when the court is seated with a new chief justice. And then we'll move deliberately to replace Justice O'Connor.
And thank you all for coming.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Videotape that was shot in the White House cabinet meeting. More on that in just a moment. Right now, we go live to a news conference, Senators Collins and Lieberman. Let's listen in.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE: The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which we are privileged to lead, has jurisdiction over FEMA. We have initiated an oversight review of the response to Katrina.
In doing so, we are determined not to divert resources from the rescue and recovery efforts which are still at a critical stage.
Ensuring that federal, state and local emergency efforts have the necessary resources and leadership must remain our first priority and our highest obligation. But we would be remiss as the chairman and ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee if we did not ask the hard questions needed to understand what went so wrong and what our country must do to improve our ability to respond to future crises, whether they are natural disasters or terrorist attacks.
COLLINS: It immediately occurred to me that if our system did such a poor job when there was no enemy, how would the federal, state and local governments have coped with a terrorist attack that provided no advance warning and that was intent on causing as much death and destruction as possible?
How is it possible that almost four years to the day after the attacks on our country, with billions of dollars spent to improve our preparedness, that a major area of this nation was so ill prepared to respond to a catastrophe?
Why was there a lack of unity of command coordinating various governments, police, utility, communications, health care and other specialties?
Was there an unwarranted delay in mobilizing the assets of the state and federal governments for security, transportation, mobile medical facilities, fuel, food, housing?
Was there a contingency plan for evacuation, let alone control or recovery? If so, what interfered with its execution?
Is the federal government organized in the most effective manner to deliver emergency services in response to catastrophes such as Katrina or terrorist attacks?
These are just a few of the many questions that need to be answered so that we can assist in the recovery from Katrina, as well as strengthen our capacity to respond to future disasters.
COLLINS: Let me end my comments by noting our determination to make this oversight a fair, constructive and bipartisan review. It does not serve our country well to fix blame when we should be fixing problems.
We will begin our investigation, our review, immediately. We already have tasked our staff, and I'm very pleased that this will be a bipartisan effort.
Once again, Senator Lieberman and I are determined to work together in a nonpartisan way to answer many of the questions that have been raised.
Senator Lieberman.
SENATOR JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D-CT): Thank you very much, Senator Collins.
Let me just pick up on what you said at the end, and thank you for the totally nonpartisan way in which you've led the committee in which we have begun to work together to respond to the Hurricane Katrina crisis.
This is a moment of national crisis.
In some sense, not just the Gulf Coast was attacked, but America's self-confidence in the aftermath of the way government responded to this crisis.
And this is no time for politics or partisanship. This is a time to pull together, to do what's right for our country. And I know under your leadership, our committee will do that.
The obvious fact is that Hurricane Katrina was an enormously powerful and destructive act of nature. It certainly wasn't caused by any government.
But governmental failures in preparing for and responding to Hurricane Katrina allowed much more human suffering and property destruction to occur than should have. That is the sad and stunning fact.
LIEBERMAN: And so this committee, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, has been asked by the Senate leadership to answer the same questions that we all asked after September 11, 2001: How could this have happened in America and what must government do to make sure to the best of our ability that nothing like the national nightmare that Katrina caused and exposed ever happens again?
Senator Collins and I know how important it is to our country and to our people that we conduct this investigation without partisanship or defensiveness, and with an overriding and unflinching commitment to find the truths, to tell it so our government will never repeat the mistakes that it made last week.
KAGAN: We've been listening to Senator Lieberman and Collins, Homeland Security Committee chair and the ranking member. They're calling to have an investigation and hearings on what took place and the federal response to Hurricane Katrina. This committee they are on oversees FEMA. And a lot of questions about not just how FEMA operated, but about the umbrella of which FEMA operates under at this time.
Our Ed Henry, our congressional correspondent, standing by listening in.
You heard a lot of praising, let's not make this partisan, let's work together. But, Ed, isn't there also going to be not just finger pointing across parties, but across different levels of government? You're going to have city government to look at, state government and the federal government as well. And I anticipate a lot of finger pointing going all those directions about who really dropped the ball.
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Republican Senator David Witter of Louisiana on Friday gave an F a grade of F in terms of the governmental response. But he specified, he wasn't just talking about just the federal government, he was talking about the state government there, the lack of coordination, the lack of communication, and also you asked me a couple moments ago about Senator Clinton calling for this independent commission to investigate what went wrong. Other lawmakers, though, are saying that would be punting this. This in fact, one of the most important things are oversight of the executive branch of the federal government, and that's why you see there Senators Lieberman and Collins, saying wait a second, let's let the Congress move forward, let's have these hearings, and also not just look at what the executive branch did or didn't do, as you heard the president talking about, what went right, what weren't wrong.
But what about Congress? Where has Congress been in the last few years as the Department of Homeland Security was created? FEMA was taken out. Instead of being an independent agency, is now under the umbrella of the department of homeland security. A lot of critics saying that was a mistake. Their focus is too much on the war on terror. They should be on emergency preparedness and response, but where has Congress been in recent year in taking a close look at that -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Ed henry. Ed Henry on Capitol Hill. Ed, thank you.
On another note, when we were listening in to the Bush cabinet conference there, cabinet meeting, Vice President Cheney, the president announced, will be going to the region on Thursday to check on recovery efforts there. So we'll get more out of the White House from a bit. Also for more on Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, you can check out our Web site for up to the minute information. The address is CNN.com.
We're going to have more from Houston, include more folks who are trying to get in touch with their loved ones. We'll have their personal stories when we come back.
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KAGAN: Want to go back now to New Orleans. We were showing you pictures earlier today, or earlier in the last hour, of the Garden District, and a historic Victorian home that was on fire.
Our Drew Griffin is very close to there and joins us now on the phone. Drew, what have you been able to learn?
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And the fire is just roiling through this home. I think you guys can see it from the air, and also witness the firefighting efforts from the air. It's so difficult to do anything in New Orleans right now that for this house fire, they have to drop huge buckets of water, just trying to contain this fire. The houses very close together.
And as you know, Daryn, this area, the lower Garden District is filled with these old, gorgeous, Victorian homes, all made of wood. And I think the effort is really to just try to contain this and prevent yet another item that has gone wrong here in New Orleans from becoming a major catastrophe.
They do seem to have enough firefighting presence here from all sorts of fire districts from all over the country, trying to keep this contained. But I'm standing about two blocks away and I can still see the flames seeping from the front porch.
KAGAN: And so I imagine there's great concern, as you were saying, of the fire spreading and not just taking out this one house, but perhaps the whole block?
GRIFFIN: The house is gone. The question is, can they contain it? There is somewhat of a breeze. I would say eight to ten miles an hour. And, you know, the trees here are very close to the houses, trees' leaves across the street. Having covered several wildfires and house fires out in California, it's the same conditions that really lead to spreading fires.
And in New Orleans, where the houses are right next to each other, especially in this area, it's troublesome. Which is I think why you're seeing this aggressive helicopter attack on this fire.
KAGAN: And they're dumping, as you're saying, from the helicopter -- is it still true that there's no water pressure in the hoses, if they're able to get their trucks back there?
GRIFFIN: Yes, they have a huge tanker that just showed up, filled with water. I'm not talking about a firefighting tanker, I'm talking about a tank you see on the highway, perhaps carrying gasoline or oil. And that is trying to feed the fire trucks, when they're down on the ground here. Just keep them sprinkling -- I'm getting sprayed right now by one of these trucks. But they are getting water on this fire and the helicopter effort has been tremendous. We're seeing one come through about every 20, 30 seconds or so.
KAGAN: And we're saying this is the Garden District, the historic area of New Orleans. But this is an area that's evacuated and there should be no civilians around there?
GRIFFIN: Just from what -- you know, the term we learned yesterday, just some stragglers. I don't believe anybody was living in this house. We don't know why the fire started yet or what the cause was. But this is an evacuated area of the city. A lot of National Guard, Army and -- passing us by right now.
For those who know this city, this is just two blocks north of Magazine on Josephine Street. So Magazine is a commercial district that many people know here in the lower Garden District. And that's where this fire is.
KAGAN: Drew Griffin from the Garden District of New Orleans. Drew, thank you. Want to go to a place where so many from New Orleans have taken refuge, and that is Houston and the Astrodome. We've been trying to help those who are there who have been separated from their families and their loved ones get in touch, simply by putting a plea out.
Trina Sutton is one of those people, and she joins me now. Trina, thank you for being with us.
TRINA SUTTON, NEW ORLEANS EVACUEE: Hi, how you doing?
KAGAN: I'm doing well. I know these are very difficult times for you. Tell us exactly who you're looking for.
SUTTON: I'm looking for my two kids, Maurice (ph) and Daranisha (ph) Sutton. One is 13, the other one is 10. Maurice go by the name of -- nickname of Mo or Mo Money. Nisha -- Daranisha's nickname is Nisha. They last were seen on St. Charles Wednesday.
KAGAN: And how did you get -- become separated from your children?
SUTTON: OK, well, they was rescuing the children and elderlies first. And my kids left Wednesday. The boat was supposed to come back for us. But it didn't. The National Guard rescued us Thursday off the roof.
KAGAN: And when they took your children, did they tell you where they were going to take them?
SUTTON: They told them they was bringing them on to St. Charles Street, to dry land.
KAGAN: And that was last locater you had for where your children might be?
SUTTON: Yes.
KAGAN: And so when you came...
SUTTON: I heard they was in...
KAGAN: Go ahead.
SUTTON: I heard they was in Baton Rouge. I heard they was supposed to be in San Antonio. They told me they might be here. But no one can tell me nothing.
KAGAN: And when you came to Houston and the Astrodome, it of the belief like that was the best chance of where your children were going to be?
SUTTON: Yes.
KAGAN: And I understand there have been some false leads, that you heard there were two children who were looking for their mom and you thought that that might be your kids?
SUTTON: Yes, yesterday. Yes, that was yesterday. Last night, someone in -- by Burger King on Finan Ally (ph) in Houston, they said that they had heard two kids in Baton Rouge was looking for their mom and their name was Trina, but it wasn't mine because the kids was younger.
KAGAN: So close to have that false hope like that. Now, you said -- give me the ages your kids again? SUTTON: Thirteen and 10.
KAGAN: So these are big kids, they certainly know their names.
SUTTON: Oh, yes.
KAGAN: They know their personal information. Yes. They just wouldn't know where to find mom. They have no idea where you are.
SUTTON: Thank you. Like I don't know where they are.
KAGAN: Right. So if, by chance, they're in a shelter or some place, because I know a lot of places are watching CNN, and they happen to see it or somebody who has your kids see you there how would you like...
SUTTON: They can call me -- they can call me and leave a message on my voice mail at 713-797-2580. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
KAGAN: OK. And we put that number up on the screen, 713-797- 2580. So difficult to be separated from your kids. We wish you well in finding them and in finding them in the best of health.
SUTTON: Thank you.
KAGAN: Trina Sutton, looking for her two children, her son and her daughter. Trina, thank you. Good luck.
SUTTON: Thank you.
KAGAN: And with more from our victim and relief desk, let's go over to Carol Lin -- Carol.
CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boy, that's a tough one, Daryn. If Trina's still listening to us, have the crew keep her earpiece in, because she should go to the Red Cross. They have folks with computers, and they can -- she can check on the list to see whether her children have been registered the at another Red Cross site. And there are folks there to help her with that computer.
Also, we have crews out in the field who are doing what they can to help people get in touch with missing loved ones. And we've been talking to some folks, and here are some people who are also wanting to let their family know that they're OK.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TONY ORLANDO, GREENVILLE, AL: Hi, my name is Tony Orlando. I'm looking for Linda Knock (ph), my sister-in-law. Linda, we'd like to hear from you real quick. And also, James Knock (ph).
SASHEEN BRANT, GREENVILLE, AL: Hi, I'm Sasheen Brant from New Orleans. And I just want to let all my family and friends know that I'm OK. DARRELL JACKSON, NEW ORLEANS, LA: I don't know where my son is. I don't know where my daughter is. I don't know where my mother is. It's a mess. If they can just see this message, just call me. I have my cell phone on.
BETTIE PERRIER, NEW ORLEANS, LA: If he hear me, your mama and daddy is gone to the convention center and we don't know where we're going from there.
DANIELLE VENABLE, HOUSTON, TX: Anybody seen my daughter, please, I'm in Houston, contact me. I don't have a number. But I'll be here until I get her.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: And we're also getting e-mails from folks who are looking for lost loved ones.
The first one here is by a 92-year-old grandmother, Georgia Lee Tyler. She is looking for her sister and her brother-in-law. They were last at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in New Orleans on Haynes (ph) Boulevard. If you see these folks, by the way, please let us know.
Also, another e-mail from Mary Barton, who's looking for her elderly aunts, who are in their 90s. They were last seen in New Orleans before the storm. They communicated that they were going to get to a hotel before the storm hit. They haven't heard anything since from these women.
And an e-mail also from Angela Moses, who is looking for her sister, Gladys Dupor Noble. She wants somebody to go to this address: 6300 Art Street, and then she put in parentheses Mexico Street -- in New Orleans. She says she hasn't heard from her since Monday. And hopefully if there's anybody in the neighborhood, you might be able to check on where Gladys Dupor Noble might be.
Also, we are trying to answer some questions by the evacuees who are, for example, at the Astrodome. What can people expect? They're housing like 12,000 people in the process there. According to a Red Cross volunteer I spoke to a short time ago, it's amazing.
They get off these buses. One night they had 37 buses arrive in the middle of the night. They get registered, which is key, because then their name gets entered into the Red Cross site computer, where anybody around the country or the world can log on to see that they're actually at the Astrodome, alive and safe. And then they get a comfort care kit, so they can brush their teeth, get a shower.
And then everybody is sorted by either single men, women, or families. That's supposed to add to the security at the site. And they've got a huge place where they can go and get clothes. Some 25,000 volunteers have already showed up at the Astrodome to work this incredible job.
Now, we want to hear your stories and try to help your family if we can. You can e-mail us at hurricanevictims@CNN.com. We've got tremendous resources available to you, as well as a safe list you can use to register yourself or locate a missing friend or family member. It's all done online, at CNN.com/helpcenter.
Daryn, we are getting some good results. We want to let people know that there's hope out there.
KAGAN: It's good to be part of some of the solutions there.
Carol, thank you. A bit of daily dose of health news for you. The American Red Cross trying to help evacuees connect with their loved ones via the Web. The family links registry -- Carol was just talking about this -- found online, www.redcross.org. Visitors can go to the Web site to register the names of missing loved ones or look for people already listed there. The hotline number once again 1-877- loved-ones. More news on how the international world is lending a helping hand. That's coming up.
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KAGAN: We want to show you some live pictures we're getting in from Washington D.C., from Dulles International Airport. This is the latest migration of those fleeing the damage of Hurricane Katrina. We're hearing from WUSA. Washington D.C.'s expecting 183 victims to arrive here, which looks like they have, aboard this Delta charter plane. The D.C. Armory is set up to deal with medical and mental health personnel. They will be available to assist with problems. The city isn't certain how much the effort is going to cost them. She's just hopeful the federal government will pitch in.
So there you go. More folks from Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Coast arriving this time in Washington D.C., as people fan out farther and farther away from New Orleans, Mississippi, Alabama and the Gulf Coast.
All right, and a guest with us right now, not only are people trying to get out, but there are those trying to get aid in to the Gulf Coast. In the days since Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf coast, offers of help have come from all around the world.
Thomas Tighe is the president and CEO of Direct Relief International. And he joins me now to talk about how his organization is lending a helping hand.
Good morning to you.
THOMAS TIGHE, PRES. & CEO, DIRECT RELIEF INTL.: Good morning.
KAGAN: Tell us what your organization is doing, please.
TIGHE: Well, we've been providing the medical material aid to federal, state, local and private facilities that are responding throughout the multistate region. It's been a challenge. Today, we have the largest single emergency relief shipment we've ever sent domestically in 57 years, about $9 million of material that is going to Louisiana, to a distribution center, so... KAGAN: What kind of stuff are you sending? What do they need?
TIGHE: This is requested by the Board of Pharmacy that's taken over the supply of drugs coming into the state. They've asked for a specific list of medicines, antibiotics, medicines to treat hypertension and diabetes and a broad range of supplies. We also have materials going out to a distribution center in Jackson, Mississippi today as well.
KAGAN: So not just immediate first aid of people who might be injured, but a lot of folks who have been cut off from their ongoing medical care.
TIGHE: Right, it's not a situation where you see large trauma injuries that you might in a earthquake. But a lot of people who on a good day did not have great access to health services, and a lot of people who are just displaced and been out, exposed and in shelters. So the risks are just primary care treatment of people who are somewhat vulnerable, and trying to set up a safety net that on a good day in our country is pretty fragile to begin with.
KAGAN: We've been hearing a lot of frustrating stories of people trying to help, organizations who get to a certain point and the red tape is just causing a lot of problems. What you coming up against?
TIGHE: Well, so far -- we've been doing this a long time. So we've had good luck connecting with about 50 facilities. And we tend to work through people we know will always be there, the community clinics and the free clinics throughout these states that are always caring for people who don't have much money and don't have health insurance. So that's where we've plugged in, working with companies that have really been working throughout the weekend, and very generous, wanting to do whatever they can, and our colleague nonprofit organizations that work extensively with the health care companies to provide medical aid around the world and here at home.
KAGAN: It's important work you're doing. As we said, usually do it around the world, and now you're doing it domestically here at home. Your largest shipment ever. Thomas Pie with Direct Relief International, thank you for that.
TIGHE: Thank you.
KAGAN: And the news and our coverage continues right here on CNN.
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