Ameerican Family Voices - Miriam V.

AM Feed - September 8, 2005

Hot Topics
List of 2 items
President Bush requested another $51.8 billion in emergency spending for
Hurricane Katrina cleanup, making it the most expensive domestic natural
disaster
ever. But even with all the money that's been thrown around and all the
lives that have been upended, Congressional Republicans have denied the
notion
that this issue deserves its own independent investigation, like 9/11.
Instead, they called for a "bipartisan" Congressional committee to
investigate the
government's lagging response to the hurricane - a committee that will
undoubtedly be dominated by Republicans. "An investigation of the Republican
administration
by a Republican-controlled Congress is like having a pitcher call his own
balls and strikes," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (R-NV).
[link]
Congressional Republicans have also vowed not to let the Hurricane Katrina
disaster stop them from conducting business as usual, which means they will
continue
to push their plans to cut taxes for the rich and cut funding for social
programs for the needy despite the extra strain caused by the hurricane.
Congressional
committees have planned to authorize $70 billion in tax cuts this month,
mostly by extending cuts on capital gains and dividends - perks enjoyed
mostly
by the wealthy. At the same time, Congress is moving to slash funding for
programs like Medicaid, which would be an especially important program in
this
time of recovery. Republicans say the storm won't delay their legislative
plans by more than two weeks.
[link]
list end

Who Says That? (Part 1)

"Every official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency should be fired,
Director Michael Brown especially." - Excerpt from an "open letter" to
President
Bush in the New Orleans Times-Picayune

Who Says That? (Part 2)

"The more one learns about him [Michael Brown], one is surprised he's in
that job in the first place." - Conservative commentator William Kristol

Who Says That? (Part 3)

"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." - President Bush, speaking to
Michael Brown in Alabama