Mary Landrieu

The government at its own peril fails to recognize the importance of these schools.

The National Disaster Recovery Strategy must be completed as rapidly as possible, and preferably, were I you, I would ask for that by the end of this calendar year.

So if another catastrophic disaster happens this summer and either Texas or Mississippi or Alabama is hit and hundreds of thousands of children are displaced, as they were after Hurricane Katrina, we have to start all over again and get an…

In November 2005, I led the effort, along with Senator Kennedy and Senator Enzi--and without the support of these two Senators, I have to say publicly, it never would have happened.

Well, we will never have children in my parish unless I open and provide a space for them.

FEMA should be the driver. FEMA should be the motivator, the communicator.

This isn't 4 years. This is 2 years.

We must be mindful of the fact that people cannot return to work or begin rebuilding until they locate a safe and productive environment for their children.

I would like to call attention, before I get into the questions, to two charts that I think are very telling.

The needs of children are of primary interest to me, and particularly the mental and emotional needs of the community at large as we seek to build a better and stronger community.

Local response plans must be provided for evacuation, sheltering, and continued care of children from facilities where they are likely to be clustered at the time of the disaster.

The well-being of the affected States is highly material to the well-being, the economy, and indeed the security of the United States.

I do believe that FEMA is a partner, but I would say that FEMA is the leader.

And I also understand that Catholic Charities, which is a very reputable and large and capable nonprofit, stepped forward to provide case management.

I would suggest, respectfully suggest to you, look at this program that seemed to work amazingly well.

I agree with that, and I think your analysis that it has been a FEMA-centric approach and it needs to change to where FEMA is the lead of the team.

I just think that has really been overlooked.

Getting your workforce back to work after a disaster is one of our primary goals.

I can't overestimate and overstate how important this is.

I want to be very supportive of the reform efforts underway and to congratulate you all for what you have done thus far.

It is critical that we review and assess how education reform has impacted student achievement in our Nation's capital.

It is tragic that children attending public schools in our Nation's capital receive sub-par educations.

Congress established the SBA 8(a) business development program to connect the growth of American business enterprise directly to the needs for goods and services of our Federal Government.

For the past 19 years, I have worked with Senator McCain, Senator Murkowski, Senator Dorgan, and others as part of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to protect and advance this unique trust relationship with our Nation's first Americans.

I am hopeful we will proceed honorably in a manner that respects and strengthens the government-to-government relationship between the United States and Alaska Natives.