Judd Gregg: “I could not agree more. As far as the million dollars, I am happy to reallocate it toward this activity. This is a huge…”

“I could not agree more. As far as the million dollars, I am happy to reallocate it toward this activity. This is a huge amount, but I don't think it should be understated how much effort is being made to try to figure out how much in the way of funds has been either mishandled, fraudulently handled, wasted, and the first cut just on the individual side is $1.8 billion. As a result of Katrina, the number is going to be much higher when they get into the public area of rebuilding roads, schools, and hospitals. However, the Department is trying, and certainly the inspector general of the Department is trying very hard. He has a very highly structured task force--a series of them--to try to manage these dollars. The results are not too complete. We are starting to get hard information, but dollars have been wasted, and it is inexcusable. If this technical accounting process is something that should be followed, I have no problem with proceeding in this way. I don't want to imply that this is going to resolve the problem. The problem is much bigger than this. The issue is whether the inspector general can get his arms around everything that has happened down there. You are not only dealing necessarily with the Federal folks who are giving us the issues; there are a lot of local and State issues about how Federal money is being spent here that is very questionable.…”