Mary Landrieu

Thank you so much for being here today for this hearing of the Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery.

I would really appreciate input from the National Governors Association and potentially maybe establishing some sort of committee for the next 6 months to work with us would be welcomed on our part.

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

The psychological and psychosocial impact of these kinds of kids who are still suffering from the storm nearly 5 years later is significant

The sooner that I can grasp that the Federal agencies understand that, the better off we will all be

Let me just be clear, and it may just be that I am not clear.

And I might mention on that that SBA has a responsibility to finance them.

The school situation is still--we are really struggling, and we have our superintendent here to talk about this.

We have had a series of hearings on the subject of how the National Government... can do a better job.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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…

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

We will ask the Administration to send people to Kobe, Japan, which will be hosting an international conference.

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

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.

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.

Well, I just urge you all to stay focused on finding the right solution to this issue so that we are treating people as quickly as we can, helping them with dignity.