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Skriven 2006-08-28 23:31:38 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (060828) for Mon, 2006 Aug 28
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Fact Sheet: President Bush's Visit to Biloxi and New Orleans
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For Immediate Release
August 28, 2006

Fact Sheet: President Bush's Visit to Biloxi and New Orleans


˙˙˙˙˙

"This Tuesday marks the first anniversary of Katrina - one of the deadliest
and most costly natural disasters in American history. ... In Mississippi
and Louisiana, we can see many encouraging signs of recovery and renewal,
and many reminders that hard work still lies ahead. ... We will stay until
the job is done, and by working together, we will help our fellow citizens
along the Gulf Coast write a new future of hope, justice, and opportunity
for all."

˙  President George W. Bush, 8/26/06

Today And Tomorrow, President Bush Will Visit Biloxi And New Orleans To
Commemorate The One-Year Anniversary Of Hurricane Katrina. The President
will deliver remarks on the Gulf Coast's recovery; meet with State and
local government officials, community leaders, volunteers, and residents;
and tour neighborhoods devastated by Hurricane Katrina. In New Orleans, he
will participate in a prayer service, interviews with local and national
media, and a roundtable on the Gulf Coast School Library Initiative.

President Bush's Visit To Biloxi, Mississippi

In Biloxi, President Bush Will Attend A Working Lunch Where Governor Haley
Barbour And Community Leaders Will Brief The President On Their Vision For
Housing Plans And Other Rebuilding Issues.
  ū States Have Been Awarded Nearly $17 Billion In Flexible Federal Grants
    As Part Of The Largest Housing Recovery Program In U.S. History. $16.7
    billion in Federal funds have been allocated under the U.S. Department
    of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Community Development Block
    Grants (CDBG) program to help rebuild damaged housing and other
    infrastructure. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has closed
    98 percent of claims made by policyholders affected by Hurricane
    Katrina.

The President Will Also Participate In A Walking Tour Of A Neighborhood And
Deliver Remarks On Gulf Coast Recovery.

President Bush's Visit To New Orleans, Louisiana

This Evening, The President Will Attend A Dinner With State And Local
Officials In New Orleans. Tomorrow, President Bush will tour a New Orleans
neighborhood, meet with local residents and volunteers, and deliver remarks
on Gulf Coast recovery.

Tomorrow Morning, The President And Mrs. Bush Will Visit St. Louis
Cathedral To Attend A Service Commemorating The One-Year Anniversary Of
Katrina. St. Louis Cathedral is the centerpiece of Jackson Square, where
President Bush delivered his September 2005 pledge to "do what it takes ...
to help citizens rebuild their communities and their lives" after Hurricane
Katrina. New Orleanians have worshipped in churches on this site since
1727.

Also Tomorrow Morning, President Bush Will Participate In A Roundtable On
The Gulf Coast School Library Recovery Initiative And Deliver Remarks On
Gulf Coast Recovery. The Gulf Coast School Library Recovery Initiative is a
special fund of the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries. It was
established to help Gulf Coast schools that were damaged by the hurricanes
rebuild their book and material collections. According to the U.S.
Department of Education, 1,121 public and private schools in the Gulf Coast
region were damaged or destroyed. The Foundation uses a competitive grant
process to distribute the Gulf Coast funds, and ten schools received awards
totaling $500,000 in May 2006.
  ū The Laura Bush Foundation For America's Libraries Is A Private
    Organization Established In July 2001 To Provide School Libraries With
    New Books To Expand And Improve Their Collections. More information on
    the Laura Bush Foundation is available at
    http://www.laurabushfoundation.org/ .
  ū The Roundtable And The President's Remarks Will Be At Warren Easton
    Fundamental High School. Warren Easton Fundamental High School is the
    oldest public school in New Orleans and was reopened as a charter
    school following Hurricane Katrina.

While In New Orleans, President Bush Will Participate In Interviews With
Garland Robinette Of New Orleans' WWL Radio And Brian Williams Of NBC News.

Prior To Departing New Orleans, The President Will Participate In A Photo
Opportunity With New Orleans Saints Football Players, Who Will Return To
The Superdome This Season. The Saints' first home game this season is on
Monday, September 25, against the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints played their
first home game last season at Giants Stadium in New Jersey and played
subsequent home games in San Antonio and Baton Rouge.

The One-Year Anniversary Of Hurricane Katrina

President Bush Is Committed To Helping The People Of The Gulf Coast Fully
Recover From Unprecedented Devastation. One year after Hurricane Katrina,
the Gulf Coast is rebuilding, and the Nation is better prepared for future
natural disasters. Commerce is returning to the region, and as rebuilding
plans are firmed up, growth and progress will follow, and New Orleans will
once again be a vibrant American city.

Hurricane Katrina Was The Most Destructive Natural Disaster In U.S.
History, And Rebuilding Will Take Time - The One-Year Anniversary Is Not A
Finish Line. Challenges still remain, including crime and housing needs.

We Have Learned From Last Year's Inadequate Response And Today Are Better
Prepared For Future Disasters. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) is dramatically increasing the Nation's stockpiles of relief
supplies, retooling FEMA, updating disaster plans, supporting State and
local partners, and emphasizing individual and community preparedness. DHS
has four times the emergency meals and ice, and 2.5 times the water
available this year than were available prior to Hurricane Katrina. These
supplies have the capacity to sustain 1 million people for one week.

The Federal Government Has Provided More Than $110 Billion In Resources -
$118 Billion Including Tax Relief - To The Gulf Region. This funding is
helping fulfill vital needs, including relocation, rental assistance,
levees, housing and other infrastructure repair, flood insurance payments,
education, and debris removal.
  ū Over $77 Billion Of The $110 Billion Either Has Been Dispensed Or Is
    Available For States To Draw From. We are working with State and local
    leaders to help them rebuild the region, and the remainder of the
    funding will become available as States roll out their housing plans to
    the public.

The Administration Has Demonstrated Its Commitment To The Gulf Coast:
  ū President Bush has visited the Gulf Coast 12 times since September 2005
    and this trip will be his 13th visit.
  ū Mrs. Bush has visited the Gulf Coast 13 times since September 2005 and
    this trip will be her 14th visit.
  ū Cabinet officials have visited the Gulf Coast 82 times since September
    2005.

Fulfilling The Federal Government's Obligations To The People Of The Gulf
Coast

Federal Gulf Coast Rebuilding Coordinator Don Powell Is Continuing To Work
With Governors Kathleen Blanco And Haley Barbour And Mayor Ray Nagin To
Provide Resources To The People Who Need Them Most. For example, Federal
officials have worked closely with State and local leaders to provide
funding for debris removal from private property.

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