We will always be grateful to our first responders who saved so many lives.

Winston Churchill once said, if you are going through hell, keep going.

we need to transform the city and the metropolitan area in a way that we start to see indicators and outcomes that improve upon past performance

I would hope that you would take some time very soon to sit down face-to-face with these elected officials.

I cannot help but to feel great optimism, great enthusiasm for the future of New Orleans and the region.

I am very grateful to be able to serve as Chairman of this Subcommittee, and we have conducted any number of hearings over the course of the last 5 years related to smarter, better disaster response and recovery.

I have no doubt we will continue to produce results, results this region needs to not only rebuild, but rebuild stronger, better, and faster.

If they are found simply negligent, they will pay $5 billion. If they are found grossly negligent, they will pay approximately $20 billion.

Senator Landrieu was fighting for it.

We continue to want to work very, very closely.

But I just want to be clear for this record on this question, because this is just critical to our success moving forward.

He has done two tours of Iraq, two tours overseas, and we are grateful, Paul, for your service to our State and our Nation.

I believe the Corps understands, and, of course, all of us understand that 100-year flood protection is not adequate to protect what it is that we know is coming our way.

If you have doubts about funding a safer, more protected New Orleans area... I want you to tour this school building with me.

Thank you so much, Congressman Scalise.

FEMA is not a recovery organization. They are not a rebuilding organization.

I want to be clear that we are going to leave here committed to figuring this out.

I am very pleased with the tremendous support that we have received from President Obama.