I think he will be an incredible asset to the work of this Contracting Oversight Subcommittee.

That is our hope and intention, and I am very pleased that we have a representative from HUD on the second panel.

We all need to do a much better job of understanding that we are in the middle of Hurricane Alley.

I am Senator Mary Landrieu, and I would like to call this field hearing to order.

we have subsequently passed at least one law that will help, and if we can expand it, it would cover that instance where we have required FEMA now to basically reimburse as a whole police stations, fire stations, and public schools.

What we have to recognize is, unfortunately, those days of garden district storms are over with.

We just passed that amendment this week off the Senate floor, and we hope it stays in the bill because it will give the State of Texas a great deal more flexibility in how those Community Development Block Grant monies can be used and can…

I hope that you receive this in the spirit because that is our only tool right now at the federal level.

It is extremely important that we eventually get that law changed to authorize them to do that.

This senator has tried to change that law for four straight years in a row.

Making sure that FEMA is working at its optimal level, that there is coordination at the federal level that really honors and respects the hard work going on at the street level or the local level is important to me.

I think it is a relatively small number.

we insisted that one-third of the funds be dispersed within 60 days

It is not necessarily meant to be a Community Development Block Grant bonanza for the entire state.

I have long wanted to come to Galveston as a resident of New Orleans and as a senator now from the State of Louisiana into my third term.

FEMA has been in the business of short-term emergency housing, but I put the emphasis on 'short.'

we insisted that the money be distributed as between states based on damage

We also required specifically that 10 percent of this funding go for, I think, rental, affordable housing.

I want to be very clear about one principle, that we are now using Community Development Block Grant at the federal level to try to respond to communities that are struck by disasters because the current programs are just not sufficient.

the money should come to the communities that were hurt the worst where the needs are the greatest

Thank you for your time and for your caring.

I am going to be watching this very carefully, and we will work with our friends in Texas...

About 20 percent of the residents of this city, representing about 4,000 families, are yet to return to the community because of all sorts of challenges associated either with housing, employment, health, or others.

Mayor, I will absolutely be in Galveston sometime soon.

It is virtually impossible to rebuild a community without the small business base.