WASHINGTON – Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., Friday released the following statement in response to a report by the Government Accountability Office on the rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast:
“As we approach the second anniversary of the devastation wreaked by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, the challenges still before us are immense. The hurricanes destroyed more than 90,000 miles of land along the Gulf Coast – that’s larger than the size of Great Britain. By one estimate, the cost of the damage totals $200 billion. And to this day, hundreds of thousands of residents across Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas are still waiting to rebuild their homes and communities. This is deeply disappointing.
“This report highlights that much is left to be done before the Gulf Coast recovers. We in Congress must continue to support the recovery and to work with federal, state, and local officials to provide long-term rebuilding assistance to the Gulf Coast states so that these communities can flourish once again.”
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