Olympia Snowe: “I rise to extend my deepest sympathies and strongest possible support for the people of America's Gulf Coast region…”

“I rise to extend my deepest sympathies and strongest possible support for the people of America's Gulf Coast region, which was devastated by the terrible forces of Hurricane Katrina. In the aftermath of the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States, we continue our attempt to comprehend the magnitude of the losses that have occurred--most especially all those who have lost their lives, lost livelihoods, and virtually all their physical possessions. The scale of the destruction is most horrifically reflected in the faces of those we have seen over the past week--faces etched with an indelible and almost unimaginable sorrow, suffering, and burden, and their images have reverberated throughout a country in solidarity with their terrible plight. Indeed, there are colleagues in this very body who have endured horrendous loss, and my thoughts and prayers go out to them as well. In Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida lives have been forever transformed along with the landscape, as we have witnessed untold scenes of homes that no longer exist; floods that ravage entire neighborhoods and cities; fires that consume what remains of buildings, men, women, children, and the elderly seeking food, water, and medicine--as well as missing loved ones. The cities of New Orleans, Biloxi, Gulf Port, Pascagula, and so many others have sustained injuries almost beyond belief.…”