Congressman Bob Filner

The U.S. continued to coordinate America’s relief efforts in Haiti with the United Nations and the international community:

President Obama spoke for the second time with both UN Secretary General Ban and Brazilian President Lula to discuss the efforts of the UN, Brazil, the U.S., and others to help the people of Haiti. In particular, the President discussed further coordination of our work on the ground together and expressed his support for the UN and the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). The President conveyed his appreciation to President Lula for his country’s leadership of MINUSTAH, and the two leaders discussed their shared goal of closely coordinating efforts with the government of Haiti and the international community.

The UN Security Council members convened today to hear the latest assessment from the UN Secretary General, who had just returned from Haiti. The United States delegation introduced a resolution that would increase the ceiling for troops and police supporting the UN mission (2,500 more troops and 1,500 more police, for a total of 8,940 troops and 3,711 police). Ambassador Rice later issued a statement reiterating U.S. and international solidarity with the people of Haiti, expressing condolences for the lives lost in Haiti, including those of the UN community, and pledged our continued support for the government of Haiti and the UN as the entire international community continues to help rescue, recover, and rebuild throughout the country.

The major focus of military efforts is establishing water distribution sites, and delivering fuel, food, and medicine.

Approximately 11,274 military personnel are on the ground or afloat.

5 U.S. Navy ships are on station, including the USS Carl Vinson. 5 additional vessels are scheduled to arrive over the course of Monday, 1/18.

5 Coast Guard cutters are in the area, joining a host of Coast Guard assets in the area working day and night to support military air traffic control, conduct damage assessments and rescue people in need of assistance.

Coast Guard cutter Forward arrived off Port Au Prince 1/13 and was the first U.S. asset on the scene.

3 additional cutters — Mohawk, Tahoma, and Valiant — have arrived in the area and are providing support and supplies. Tahoma and Valiant are flight deck and communications coordination capable, and the Tahoma is loaded with water and medical supplies.

The cutter Oak arrived in Port Au Prince and will deliver water and medical supplies in addition to conducting hydro surveys and service to Aids to Navigation. Oak has 20-ton operating crane built into it.

The Crimson Clover, a covered, roll-on roll-off barge with two 46-foot extendable ramps and a top-loader for discharge operations, is in Port Au Prince and has begun unloading operations.

7 Coast Guard C-130 airplanes are conducting evacuations of U.S. personnel and other support services as directed by the U.S. Embassy; a Coast Guard C-144 is conducting airborne surveillance and imagery of the port; and 5 Coast Guard helicopters are conducting evacuations and other support.

265 HHS medical personnel are on the ground in Haiti:

Doctors, nurses, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and other medical personnel who are a part of the National Disaster Medical System and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. HHS activated the National Disaster Medical System and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps to assist in relief efforts in Haiti.

HHS medical teams have begun seeing patients.

More than 300 patients were seen yesterday at a Haitian orphanage, most with acute medical problems.
A pediatric surgeon from the HHS International Medical Surgical Response Team performed surgery on a child yesterday aboard USNS Carl Vinson.
A Disaster Medical Assistance Team and the International Medical Surgical Response Team today will see patients at a GHESKIO clinic in Port-au-Prince.
Members from a Disaster Medical Assistance Team will also see patients today at the Haitian Coast Guard base in Killick, Haiti.

The USNS Comfort is currently underway and expected to arrive on 1/20 with 600 medical personal on board.

A total of 2,971 Americans have been evacuated

FEMA is coordinating and supporting the deployment of state and local Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Teams from across the country to Haiti.
- Currently, 6 USAR teams (511 total personnel) are on the ground in Haiti. THese teams are made up of specially-trained state and lcoal first responders.
- U.S. USAR teams have rescued 37 individuals, and 69 rescues have been successfully conducted by the 27 international USAR teams.
- Each USAR team includes approximately 70 team members.

We’re also encouraging Americans to support relief efforts through charitable cash donations. Both the White House and the State Department are facilitating donations to the International Red Cross through their websites.

Contribute online through ClintonBushHaitiFund.org

Text "QUAKE" to 20222 to charge a $10 donation to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (the donation will be added to your cell phone bill)

Below are links to the Center for International Disaster Information's (CIDI) Guidelines and FAQ, which will be helpful in answering questions from constituents around the country. The Guidelines are also available in French and Kreyol, if you should need them.

Congressman Bob Filner recently held a Telephone Town Hall with his constituents in California. Thousands of Californians listened to the Congressman talk about the economy and healthcare, and the Congressman also answered their questions.

Below are some resources for those seeking information about the global swine flu outbreak.

Effective May 1, 2009, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has activated a toll-free swine flu hotline in English and Spanish. Assistance in other languages is also available.

CDPH’s swine flu hotline is available Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For additional information, please refer to the CDPH website at www.cdph.ca.gov.

RESOURCES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Swine Influenza
Provides general information, frequently asked questions (in English and Spanish), updated cases of infection by state, travel notices and press briefings
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

Department of Homeland Security – Joint Press Briefing on Swine Influenza
Transcript of the April 26 press briefing with officials from the Department of Homeland Security, Centers for Disease Control and the White House
URL: http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1240773850207.shtm

U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Attending Physician – Swine Flu Information
Statement to the Congressional Community regarding swine flu
URL: http://attendingphysician.house.gov/SWIN%20Flu.html

It is high time the Pentagon admits its mistake and takes action to improve outpatient care at Walter Reed. The removal of the three top officials overseeing Walter Reed at the Pentagon is only the first step in accepting responsibility for the treatment of our wounded soldiers.

The events reported at Walter Reed were a break in faith with our troops. We must be able to rely on the chain of command in order to address the serious problems not only at Walter Reed, but at the military facilities across the country.

My concerns are focused on how we serve our troops when they turn from the Pentagon to the VA for their healthcare. In order for our troops to experience the seamless transition they deserve, the bureaucratic problems that prevent many from getting the care they need must be fixed.

I am committed to preventing similar situations to Walter Reed from striking the VA system. Clearly, we need an oversight and inspection system that is separate from the agency that is being overseen.”

The VA has announced that the FBI has recovered the laptop and the personal information of 26.5 million veterans that were stolen from a VA employee’s home on May 3, 2006. The FBI also reported that none of the veterans’ data was copied.

While this is good news, as the Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I have worked with my colleagues on the Committee to pass a bill to prevent similar problems in the future and to “make whole” all veterans who might suffer from id theft. For more information about this issue, please visit my Veterans Page .

Do you suspect gasoline price gouging? Please call 1-800-244-3301
In response to the recent increase in gasoline prices, the U.S. Department of Energy has released this phone number to report suspected cases of price gouging.

Earthquake Preparedness

I am offering my Guide to Getting Ready as a reminder that we all need to be prepared for a natural disaster. I hope you will use the tips it provides, and I encourage you to share it with your family and friends.