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Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, the ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, held the first in a series of hearings in Washington today in order to receive testimony on how to rebuild New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
“While the history books won’t be written for sometime concerning the lessons learned from Katrina, one thing is certain—the City of New Orleans must be rebuilt and the magical spirit that made the city great must be preserved,” said Congresswoman Johnson.
Subcommittee members heard from State and local elected officials, including Louisiana Governor, Kathleen Blanco, New Orleans Mayor, Ray Nagin, Louisiana Lt. Governor, Mitchell Landrieu, and representatives of the business community, the Port of New Orleans, the oil and gas industry, the environmental community, and the commercial fishing industry.
“I appreciate being able to hear first hand accounts from these witnesses regarding the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and its impact to the local community and cultures,” Congresswoman Johnson said. “Anyone who watched as the devastation unfolded on television could not help be moved by the pictures of those least able to escape the path of the storm. The coverage exposed the poor and disadvantaged families living within the City of New Orleans. Without special attention, those residents will be the first to get lost in the rebuilding efforts.”
The central question facing the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is, will the recovery and infrastructure programs under its jurisdiction help implement a clearly articulated goal and strategy for rebuilding New Orleans; or, in the absence of such a plan, will the conditions and limitations imposed by these programs indirectly determine the future of New Orleans?
The purpose of today’s hearing—the first in a series of Katrina related hearings, was to provide an opportunity for State and local leaders to describe their vision for the future of New Orleans and to outline a strategy for achieving that goal.
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