Sen. Obama to tour New Orleans
Sen. Obama to tour New OrleansBy MICHAEL KUNZELMANTHE ASSOCIATED PRESSNEW ORLEANS - Sen. Barack Obama will tour this storm-battered city today to highlight the slow pace of the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina, a visit that comes about a month after another 2008 presidential contender, John Edwards, kicked off his campaign here.
Obama will join members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in hearing testimony from federal, state and local officials on the government's response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The Illinois Democrat, who is expected to formally announce his presidential candidacy next month, also plans to join committee members on a tour of some of the city's most devastated neighborhoods.
In remarks prepared for the committee, Obama questions whether the federal government is doing its part to help New Orleans rebuild. He notes controversial plans to raze several low-income housing developments, adding that "I haven't seen concrete plans to meet the long-term housing needs of all the displaced people in New Orleans."
Obama also said he wants to know if the health needs of the city are being met, and whether waste and fraud reported in government contracts has been eliminated.
Obama's first visit to New Orleans after Katrina was in July 2006. His latest stop here comes here about a month after Edwards formally launched his presidential campaign by helping rebuild one of the tens of thousands of homes damaged by the Aug. 29, 2005, storm.
Like Edwards, Obama has been critical of the Bush administration's response to Katrina, which flooded about 80 percent of New Orleans and damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of homes in Mississippi.
During a recent constituent breakfast on Capitol Hill, Obama said many Americans view the government's response to Katrina as an "embarrassment to our country and that we betrayed our own citizens."
"Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Outstanding Need, Slow Progress" is the title of the congressional committee's field hearing at the Louisiana Supreme Court building. The committee held a similar hearing in Mississippi last year, but that was before Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., is the committee's new chairman. Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and David Vitter, R-La., also are scheduled to attend the hearing, which is expected to cover a broad range of housing, public assistance and other storm-related programs.
The list of scheduled speakers Monday includes Donald Powell, President Bush's coordinator for Gulf Coast rebuilding, and officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Government Accountability Office. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin also is scheduled to testify.
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/state/16570070.htm?source=rss&channel=sunherald_state
Obama will join members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in hearing testimony from federal, state and local officials on the government's response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The Illinois Democrat, who is expected to formally announce his presidential candidacy next month, also plans to join committee members on a tour of some of the city's most devastated neighborhoods.
In remarks prepared for the committee, Obama questions whether the federal government is doing its part to help New Orleans rebuild. He notes controversial plans to raze several low-income housing developments, adding that "I haven't seen concrete plans to meet the long-term housing needs of all the displaced people in New Orleans."
Obama also said he wants to know if the health needs of the city are being met, and whether waste and fraud reported in government contracts has been eliminated.
Obama's first visit to New Orleans after Katrina was in July 2006. His latest stop here comes here about a month after Edwards formally launched his presidential campaign by helping rebuild one of the tens of thousands of homes damaged by the Aug. 29, 2005, storm.
Like Edwards, Obama has been critical of the Bush administration's response to Katrina, which flooded about 80 percent of New Orleans and damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of homes in Mississippi.
During a recent constituent breakfast on Capitol Hill, Obama said many Americans view the government's response to Katrina as an "embarrassment to our country and that we betrayed our own citizens."
"Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Outstanding Need, Slow Progress" is the title of the congressional committee's field hearing at the Louisiana Supreme Court building. The committee held a similar hearing in Mississippi last year, but that was before Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., is the committee's new chairman. Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and David Vitter, R-La., also are scheduled to attend the hearing, which is expected to cover a broad range of housing, public assistance and other storm-related programs.
The list of scheduled speakers Monday includes Donald Powell, President Bush's coordinator for Gulf Coast rebuilding, and officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Government Accountability Office. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin also is scheduled to testify.
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/state/16570070.htm?source=rss&channel=sunherald_state
posted by presgore19 at 4:16 AM
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