Kendrick Meek: “I am just so sorry. I know we have two other colleagues here who are very respectful Members of this body, but I just…”

“I am just so sorry. I know we have two other colleagues here who are very respectful Members of this body, but I just cannot let this moment pass. The fact that we are forgiving from the beginning, we forgave the money that we gave to Iraq and the money that we continue to spend in Iraq, which we have appropriated the largest U.S. embassy in the world in Iraq; but let me just make this point here. Katrina, Rita, Wilma. Those Americans that were identified to receive individual assistance when they called that 1-800 number, FEMA, something FEMA, you know what they get back when they say when they filed for FEMA assistance? They do not get a check back immediately. They get an application from the Small Business Administration to fill out for a loan when they are on their knees. You fill out that loan application first. And if, and this is a big if, if you do not qualify for that Small Business Administration loan, then FEMA comes and they actually try to figure out how much money they can grant--you what they call ``mitigation''--to put your house back together. So for billions of dollars, 87 billion-plus continuing to give and there will be another supplemental soon for not only the troops but also to pay for other operations in Iraq with companies like Halliburton and other companies that are under investigation that are enjoying Katrina contracts right now, we are asking Americans when they are on their knees to fill out a loan application.”