George W. Bush

Families are a source of hope, stability, and love.

In this hour of suffering, we're prayerful.

We're thankful for a spirit, seen across the gulf coast, that faces the worst and chooses to hope.

As we clear away the debris of a hurricane, let us also clear away the legacy of inequality.

One day, Americans will look back at the response to Hurricane Katrina and say that our country grew not only in prosperity but in character and justice.

I call upon the agencies, organizations, and businesses that serve America's agricultural workers to continue strengthening their commitment to promoting farm safety and health programs.

We're humbled by the vast and indifferent might of nature and feel small beside its power.

Our Nation remains in the shadow of a storm that departed 2 weeks ago.

I proclaim September 15 through October 15, 2005, as National Hispanic Heritage Month.

No one is ever stranded beyond God's care.

I do hereby proclaim September 17, 2005, as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.

Strong families are the cornerstone of a strong America.

This is an unprecedented response to an unprecedented crisis, which demonstrates the compassion and resolve of our Nation.

The continued strength of the Coast Guard is critical to the Nation's homeland security, defense, environmental preservation, and law enforcement efforts.

We have seen our fellow citizens left stunned and uprooted and witnessed the kind of desperation no citizen of this great and generous Nation should ever have to know.

The goal is to get the work done quickly.

The trials we have seen on the Gulf Coast remind us that we are stronger than we know and that we are all tied together in this Nation.

We must have plans to evacuate large numbers of people in an emergency and to provide food, water, and security as needed.

As of today, more than 500,000 evacuee families have received emergency help to pay for food, clothing, and other essentials.

I take responsibility for the Federal government's problems, and for its solutions.

I certify that I approve all the recommendations contained in the Commission's report.

There is no way to imagine America without New Orleans, and that great city will rise again.

Now is the time to rise above this legacy of inequality.

Victims of Katrina need to know they are not alone.

May the U.N. embody the high ideals of its founding in the years to come.