The Subcommittee's overall objective today is to evaluate the special needs of children during the preparedness, response, and recovery phase of disasters.

I even had one decisionmaker in a larger school district say to me, 'well, mental health is not the responsibility of schools.'

I want to urge this Subcommittee and I want to urge Congress to consider a permanent fund to be available for these kinds of displacements.

Well, let me ask you this. Has the National Governors Association either post-Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, or Ike, or post any major disaster established a permanent subcommittee among the National Governors to work on these issues.

So it was truly a private----

If you want to create jobs, make sure those tax rates stay low.

As we approach the War's 150th anniversary, we must remember the contributions of our forefathers, those many Americans who gave their lives to make America what it is now.

So our vision on this health care bill, which looks likely to pass before Christmas, is going to hopefully provide that same sort of opportunity in every state.

On Tuesday, Senator Snowe and Senator Landrieu introduced legislation to extend the Section 179 expensing rules at the $250,000 level permanently.

Senator Landrieu just this week decided to cosponsor, as well.

We are working right now with Senator Snowe to substantially increase the credit that came out of the Finance Committee on the Senate side.

We would like to do that, if we can, because once this bill closes--not that there won't be other health care bills that will allow us to address it--but while we are at it, if you all think this is a big issue, maybe we can take care of…

we are making great efforts in the health care bill on the table with the help of Senator Snowe.

I am very pleased, as the Chair of the committee, to continue, I think, the tradition that Senator Snowe and Senator Kerry both used, to have these informal roundtables to really provide voice for small business.

that is why we are here, to try to fix as much as we can.

OK. We covered this in the first panel, but I would like your individual impressions on this privacy issue...

I think we should at least think about why FEMA in this.

They are still waiting.

If they walked in and said, we need an apartment, you got it for them, that was success?

Well, I will ask the Mississippi folks to clarify that, but let me ask this final question, because I really want to get this clear with you all because it is important, I think, for those trying to create a better system.

There needs to be a lead coordinating case management entity with human services experience.

This Subcommittee is focused on staying on the job until the job is done, to get better laws in place.

It is, therefore, important that a clear commitment to alleviating social and economic disparities be a central mission of long-term disaster mitigation and recovery planning.

Thank you, and congratulations on coming to that agreement. It has been something that I have asked for for a long time now, and I am very pleased that you all have taken this opportunity to make that announcement.

We really appreciate the way these agencies are really leaning forward to work better and faster.