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COPYRIGHT 2005 Congressional Quarterly, Inc.
Original Source: Political Transcript Wire
SENATOR FRIST HOLDS A NEWS CONFERENCE REGARDING HIS RECENT CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION VISIT TO THE GULF COAST
SEPTEMBER 20, 2005
SPEAKERS: U.S. SENATOR BILL FRIST (R-TN)
U.S. SENATOR KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON (R-TX)
U.S. SENATOR DAVID VITTER (R-AL)
U.S. SENATOR TRENT LOTT (R-MS) [*] FRIST: Good afternoon.
Over the last three hours, we've been in our conference, our Republican Caucus, talking about principally the issues surrounding the real human tragedy that occurred now about two and a half weeks ago.
We led a bipartisan CODEL -- seven Republicans, seven Democrats -- down last Friday. It was my second trip down, my third day down on the Gulf Coast, in both New Orleans and Mississippi, as well as Mobile, Alabama.
Our discussions -- and we'll talk a little bit about what we've been discussing over the last three hours, but I want to make three quick points.
First and foremost, everything that we're doing now -- and this began right after the hurricane and the flood that followed it, as well as the surge along the Mississippi coast -- is focusing on the victims, on the people whose lives have been forever changed, but to whom we have a great responsibility to lessen the damage done, to respond, to respond quickly, to respond with accountability, with transparency.
But we're going to be there, and we are there. And our delegation, our bipartisan delegation expressed that very directly to the people along the Gulf Coast in Mississippi, in Alabama, and in New Orleans, as we met with the mayor, the governor in New Orleans, the parish leaders, as well as many of the people who have suffered great losses.
FRIST: My second point, and it's a point that a lot of focus has been directed to over the last several days, and it's the amount of money. And that is very important. Large, aggregate figures are floating around. It is incumbent upon us -- and this is where a lot of our discussions have been -- to make sure that that money is spent wisely, that it is spent with full accountability, that it is spent with fiscal responsibility and transparency.
And that's where a lot of our discussions are and will continue to be as we go forward.
And my third point is -- and we just need to say it again and again and again -- that we as an American people -- yes, as a federal government, but also a state government and a local government -- but we as the American people have a responsibility -- and we are -- to commit to the long-term rebuilding and reconstruction and do it wisely and do it smartly and restoration of a prosperous life along that Gulf Coast.
And that commitment, indeed, is there.
HUTCHISON: Thank you. I appreciate so much the leader leading that group that went down to look at the devastation of those areas.
On Saturday, I toured the Austin Convention Center and visited with evacuees there and community leaders and the state education leaders and Medicaid leaders about the needs of the people who are there.
And then, yesterday, I was with our first lady, Laura Bush, in Houston, and visited the Houston Convention Center where the outpouring from the faith-based community was unbelievable.
And I want to particularly say that the leaders of every religion in America were there. You had the Catholic archbishop, you had the leader of the Muslim...
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