Week In Review: 9/11 Commissioners Confirm Bush Homeland Security Failures
National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the victims of Hurricane Katrina:
"Today, our great nation comes together in prayer...The loss across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida is shared by all of us, because we are one nation, whether in time of celebration or pain. ...In prayer and action I stand with my American family today. Let us send our prayers together and in the days ahead continue in this faithful spirit of unity to bringing justice, hope and comfort to our fellow citizens on the Gulf Coast."
--House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
"This disaster has exposed the fault lines of race and poverty in our society that we all knew existed but which have been ignored, especially in recent years. We call upon our leaders and lawmakers to realign their priorities, and we pledge to redouble our efforts to ensure that this happens. We must prioritize funding to address human needs over tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy and drain vital budgetary resources. We must act to ensure that the communities that rise from the rubble embody a new vision of equality and social justice."
--National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW)
"As leaders of our respective denominations, we have long sought an end to the injustices inherent in poverty. We have never seen these injustices born out so vividly in our own country as in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The devastation wrought by Katrina has exposed the anguished faces of the poor in the wealthiest nation on the planet. These faces, precious in the eyes of God, cause us to remember that racial disparities and poverty exist in almost every community in our nation. They also compel us to set before Congress once again our concerns for the FY '06 federal budget and its impact on people living in poverty."
-- Episcopal Church, USA, Evangelical Lutheran Church in American, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church
"The rebuilding effort will take much time and effort, and ultimately, we will be judged by our long-term commitment to helping our fellow Americans. To that end, our prayers and thoughts must be coupled with decisive action. Democrats stand united in our commitment to those who have endured so much. We stand committed to ensuring that families are united. Communities are rebuilt. Lives are made whole again."
--DNC Chairman, Governor Howard Dean
9/11 COMMISSIONERS CONFIRM BUSH HOMELAND SECURITY FAILURES
Just days after the fourth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, the members of the 9/11 Commission released a new report highlighting the Bush Administration's failure to implement the Commission's recommendations on securing our nation.
The most catastrophic natural disaster in our nation's history has opened the American public's eyes to the full impact of President Bush's failed leadership. The number one responsibility of the federal government is to keep the American people safe. But four years after the September 11 attacks, the Bush Administration has failed to prepare the federal government to respond to a national crisis. Worse yet, as the members of the 9/11 Commission pointed out, President Bush has profoundly failed to improve homeland security.
President Bush addressed the United Nations this week as well. After five years of damaging the international alliances that strengthen our national security, more empty rhetoric just doesn't cut it. President Bush must rally the international community around our common interest in defeating global terrorism, and be truthful about what he plans to do to win the peace in Iraq. Failing to do this will secure his status as a lame duck President at home and abroad.
DRAGGING ITS FEET ON 9/11 COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS
Bush Administration and Republican Congress Allocated First Responder Funding Based on Politics Instead of Risk. "Since 2001, the federal government has distributed more than $8 billion to help police, firefighters and other 'first responders' pay for equipment and training to prepare for terrorist attacks... Unfortunately, these grants have been allocated using a flawed formula that distributes funds widely but does not account for threat levels, vulnerability or the consequences of an attack. As a result, in fiscal year 2005 California received $8.05 per person in first-responder grants, while Wyoming received $27.80 per person." [Kean and Hamilton, San Jose Mercury News, 9/11/05]
Department of Homeland Security Has Failed to Complete Critical Risk Assessments. "The Sept. 11 Commission recommended that the Department of Homeland Security conduct nationwide assessments of risk and vulnerability to guide the deployment of homeland security resources, including first-responder grants... The department [of Homeland Security] has missed statutory deadlines for the completion of these studies by several months." [Kean and Hamilton, San Jose Mercury News, 9/11/05]
Unified Incident Command System Still Not Operational. "The responses to both Sept. 11 and Hurricane Katrina revealed disarray in command structures for emergency response. Federal, state and local responsibilities on the Gulf Coast were not clearly defined. Confusion costs lives. The commission recommended that emergency-response agencies nationwide adopt the Incident Command System, which defines who is in charge and what agencies' responsibilities are in a crisis. The federal government has already pushed back the deadline for municipalities to set up such a system to qualify for first-responder grants. That deadline must not slip any further." [Kean and Hamilton, San Jose Mercury News, 9/11/05]
WASHINGTON REPUBLICANS PLAY POLITICS AGAIN
Senate Republicans are playing politics with an investigation into how and why the federal government failed so miserably to respond in an adequate and timely manner to Hurricane Katrina. In a party-line vote, Senate Republicans dismissed a Democratic proposal sponsored by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to put aside partisan politics and appoint an independent commission to investigate the federal government's failed response to the largest natural disaster in American history. Republicans voted down a plan to appoint the independent commission just one day after Bush said, "I want to know what went right and what went wrong" with the federal government's response to Katrina. [Washington Post, 9/14/05]
The President has said he wants to find out 'what went wrong' but can we take him at his word. With our nation's security on the line, this commission deserves more than business-as-usual partisan tactics from the Republican leadership in Washington, DC.
But there is something the Bush Administration has done right - or at least right for their political cronies. Already, no-bid contracts worth at least $100 Million have been awarded to several large, politically influential companies including the Fluor Corporation, Dewberry, and C2HM Hill, major donors to the Republican Party; Bechtel, a defense contractor with political connections to the Bush Administration; and Kellogg Brown & Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton, the giant defense contractor once led by Cheney and a current client of Joe Albaugh. Spokesmen at FEMA have been unwilling to provide details of the decision-making process that is being used to award contracts for the hurricane-relief program, nor have they identified the agency officials who are making the procurement decisions. [Hartford Courant, 9/14/05; New York Times, 9/13/05, 9/14/05; Wall Street Journal, 10/31/05; www.tray.com]
JOHN ROBERTS IS THE WRONG CHOICE FOR CHIEF JUSTICE
DNC Chairman Howard Dean wrote an op-ed about John Roberts' nomination for Chief Justice that appeared in newspapers across the country this week. But Gov. Dean is just one voice -- your community needs to hear from you. By filling local papers with letters to editors, Americans watching this process unfold will understand that we have a different vision for the court and a different vision for our country. Join Gov. Dean on editorial pages across America by writing a letter to the editor -- with our new online tool and talking points, you can write and submit your letter in minutes. Let's make sure that Americans open their newspapers and understand the stakes:
http://www.democrats.org/robertsletters
Here is a portion of Gov. Dean's Op Ed for you to review as a guide for generating your thoughts in your letter to your local newspaper:
"John Roberts is a decent family man and a bright, articulate, thoughtful judge...But John Roberts is the wrong man for the job. He has opposed laws protecting the rights of girls and young women to have the same opportunities in sports as boys and young men. He has argued that politicians, not individual women themselves, ought to control women's reproductive health care. He has opposed various remedies for the racial injustices which have occurred in America since slavery and which persist today. He fought against protecting all Americans from workplace discrimination. Most worrisome, he refused to answer questions on his limited view of the right to personal privacy that most Americans take for granted. Now is not the time for a Chief Justice who is bent on turning back the progress we have made in moving America forward."
To view the full Op Ed from Governor Dean, visit: http://www.democrats.org/a/2005/09/the_verdict_on.php
DEMOCRATS TAKING THE LEAD
STRONG LEADERSHIP IN THE MIDST OF CATASTROPHE
The Women's Vote Center sends kudos to Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco (D) for her strength and leadership surrounding Hurricane Karina.
As the Federal response to Katrina floundered under the leadership of Michael Brown, Karl Rove and Washington Republicans ramped up the political blame game to shift attention away from the White House and towards officials in New Orleans and Louisiana. They began to point fingers at Gov. Blanco - the only Democrat and woman serving as governor in the affected states.
But we see through the political spin and look at the facts. The facts are that Gov. Blanco was there for her citizens before, during and after the Hurricane. Unlike our Commander in Chief, Gov. Blanco was there in the midst of the storm, instead of vacationing on a ranch, speaking at political events, or playing guitars with musicians. Blanco and Louisiana officials at all levels of government worked through the most adverse conditions and with limited Federal support to ensure the safety of their citizens, even before Katrina made landfall. Visit the Governor's website to learn more about Blanco, the recovery effort or to learn more about the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation.
The facts are in and DNC research has developed a timeline of actions taken by Louisiana officials during the first days of the crisis so YOU can review and help inform your family and neighbors. Want a copy of this timeline? Email womensvote@dnc.org with "Blanco" in the subject line.
THIS FALL THERE WILL BE A WOMAN PRESIDENT
More and more Americans tell pollsters they would support a woman for President at the ballot box. Now the White House Project and Hollywood have teamed up to create a television series about a woman President. The program has the ability to change the perception of women as leaders ...and as President of the United States. The ABC Network is premiering 'Commander In Chief' on September 27th.
The White House Project is encouraging women to host 'Commander In Chief' viewing parties for the premiere on September 27th - the same day as the DNC's National Democratic Women's Day. The National Democratic Women's Day was established to commemorate the date that women were first admitted to the DNC executive committee on September 27, 1919. Visit www.thewhitehouseproject.org to learn more about the show and the White House Party movement going on in nearly 25 states.
WOMEN AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY: A POWERFUL PARTNERSHIP
It's not too late to register for the annual DNC Women's Leadership Forum Issues Conference. Women leaders will gather in Washington, DC on Sept. 28-30, to hear and discuss the latest in polling, planning and purpose from the Democratic Party. Also offered are communication trainings and more information on getting involved in revitalizing our local and precinct level outreach in your community. To learn more and register for the conference, visit http://www.democrats.org/wlfconference.
