Bill Delahunt: “Mr. Meek, if I can. I think you made a reference to reports that are now being released, and you indicated that it is a…”

“Mr. Meek, if I can. I think you made a reference to reports that are now being released, and you indicated that it is a partisan report. I think it is very important to explain that the report from the House committee that reviewed this, the aftermath and the prelude, if you will, to Katrina and what went wrong, was for all intents and purposes a Republican effort. Two Democrats sat with our Republican colleagues; and in the aftermath of their effort, these two Democrats, both from Louisiana, have recommended that it is essential to create, as we did in the aftermath of September 11, an independent commission that reviews again the prelude, during, and the aftermath of the natural disaster that devastated this country in the form of Hurricane Katrina back on August 29. Maybe like the 9/11 Commission, we can have an 8/29 Commission that all Americans can have confidence in--in its integrity. But I think, too, that we ought to review really the damning findings of the Republican effort that really, in my judgment, speaks to the incompetence of this administration. You know, we use the word or the term ``culture of corruption'' frequently in explaining what is occurring here in Washington. But I think you might agree with me that it is incompetence combined with cronyism that really are the building blocks, if you will, of that culture of corruption that creates a huge cost to the American taxpayers.…”