"This nation was in need of a leader, and I am pleased to see that President Bush is finally ready to address the challenges of Hurricane Katrina. We have a city to rebuild, lives to repair, and two political parties that need to come together out of purpose and not out of ideology. I support the President's call for more resources in the Gulf Coast and I am prepared to do everything in my power to help this country return stronger than before. One of the primary roles of the federal government is to step in during times of national emergency. We were not there in the hours following the storm, and now we must accept full responsibility for the tasks ahead."

"One of the greatest lessons we will learn from this disaster is that we must redefine our priorities as a nation. We must put safety before ideology and stand prepared to ask the tough questions about what went wrong with our federal response. We did not take the time to ask these questions when we created the Department of Homeland Security and now we owe it to ourselves not to make the same mistake twice. Before we approve billions of dollars more for emergency response, this country must develop an effective plan that will keep the American people safe from any type of disaster."