Thank you for taking the time to contact me with your concerns about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.
It is crucial we move swiftly in getting the appropriate funds to the region. The areas affected are in desperate need of aid and resources. In its wake, Hurricane Katrina left entire cites in ruin and families displaced from their homes.
In order to provide immediate relief, my Senate colleagues and I convened a special session of Congress to approve $10.5 billion in disaster assistance funds to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). On September 2, 2005, this funding measure was signed into law.
On September 8, 2005, Congress passed an additional supplemental bill to provide $50 billion to FEMA, $1.4 billion to Department of Defense Operations and Maintenance, and $400 million to the Army Corps of Engineers. These funding efforts are the first step in a long rebuilding process on the Gulf Coast and will supply the affected areas with much-needed resources in the coming days and weeks.
Thank you once again for contacting me. I will keep your concerns in mind as we work together to address this urgent situation.
Sincerely,
Norm Coleman
United States Senate