Ted Poe: “the ladies of the gulf, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, battered Louisiana and Texas, shattering families, scattering 5,172…”

“the ladies of the gulf, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, battered Louisiana and Texas, shattering families, scattering 5,172 children across the country. In the darkness of the night, children disappeared from their families. Searchers only hoped and prayed that they would be found. Frantic parents upon arrival in safe harbors panicked because they were separated from their kids. While the hurricanes were a bad dream, losing their kids was a nightmare. This is when the child crusaders came together, without hesitation, launching into action, combing 50 States, searching among thousands of people. In the end, all 5,172 children were brought home. After hundreds of hours of manpower, success occurred because of the dogged determination of the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children. Through the tenacious work of peace officers and the tireless efforts of the U.S. Postal Service and thousands of nameless citizen volunteers, children were united with their parents. Yesterday, I was with the President at the White House when the First Lady honored these valid heroes, demonstrating the face of tragedy is best met by strong hearts and iron wills, and people just taking care of people. And that's just the way it is. ____________________”