For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 1, 2005
President Asks Bush and Clinton to Assist in Hurricane Relief Efforts
The Oval Office
In Focus: Hurricane Relief
2:45 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. Thanks for coming. I'm honored to be
with former Presidents Bush and Clinton. Thank you all for being here.
We just spent some time talking about the devastation caused by
Hurricane Katrina. I brought them up to date on what I know about the
latest developments there on the ground. We're united in our sympathy;
we're united in our determination to help the good people that have been
affected by this hurricane.
I'm in close contact with Secretary Chertoff. He was in the Oval Office
earlier today. He's in close contact with FEMA Director Brown.
I want to make sure I fully understand the relief efforts and the extent
of the relief efforts and the progress of the relief efforts. After
all, we're dealing with one of the largest relief efforts in our
nation's history, and the federal government has got an important role
to play. Our first priority, of course, is to save lives. There are
over 80 FEMA teams that have been deployed to the Gulf Coast to conduct
search and rescue missions. I want to thank those who are working long
hours for their dedication to saving lives. We've got Coast Guard folks
and Navy and Army and Air Force and National Guardsmen from many
different states that are delivering needed supplies and providing the
rescue missions, trying to reach those in danger.
We're working hard to repair the breaches in the levees. Federal,
state, and local agencies are also cooperating to sustain life. That
means getting food and water to those who are stranded. Medical
personnel and local officials are helping hospital patients and people
gathered in the Superdome to evacuate. Again, I want to thank the folks
in Texas for welcoming those people. Bus caravans are shuttling back
and forth between Houston and New Orleans to get those folks to Houston.
Law enforcement and National Guardsmen and local leaders are working to
restore public order.
Earlier today, General Blum, along with Mike Chertoff, gave me a
briefing about the number of Guards-folks trained in police work that
will be moving into New Orleans, as well as other law enforcement
officials from around the area. As we speak, people are moving into the
New Orleans area to maintain law and order. I thank them for their good
work. Government agencies are working with faith-based and community
groups to find shelters for thousands of displaced persons.
And finally, we're moving forward with a comprehensive recovery
strategy. We're working hard to restore electric power, repair
transportation infrastructure, restart energy production, and of course,
strategize as to how to provide housing for these folks. I met with
Chairman Greenspan at lunch, as well as the economic team, to evaluate
the impact of Hurricane Katrina. We particularly spent a lot of time
talking about the damage done to our energy infrastructure and its
effect on the availability and price of gasoline.
In our judgment, we view this storm as a temporary disruption that is
being addressed by the government and by the private sector. We've
taken immediate steps to address the issue. The Secretary of Energy is
approving loans of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The
EPA has provided a temporary nationwide waiver for fuel requirements so
supplies of gasoline can move more easily within our country and so that
we can attract more gasoline from overseas.
We're also working with energy companies to repair and reactivate major
refineries and pipelines. The good folks must understand that major
refineries have been shut down, which means it's going to be hard to get
gasoline to some markets. We're working to help these pipelines get up
and running. Pipelines carry refined product.
And so we're working with the majors -- major oil companies to get the
-- with Colonial Pipeline so they can carry the products of the major
oil companies, the refined products. Right now, the Colonial Pipeline,
which is a major pipeline serving the East Coast, is back in operation,
but only at 50 percent capacity. We anticipate that as the days go by,
more and more of that capacity will be restored. Other major pipelines
are coming back online. But as I said, we're going to have a temporary
disruption of gasoline product.
Another challenge we face is that the downed pipelines are causing the
need to transport gasoline to needed markets by ship. Under current
law, shipping between American ports can only take place on American
ships, and there are currently not enough American ships to move the oil
and gasoline to where it's needed. So today I've instructed Secretary
of Homeland Security Chairman Chertoff to temporarily waive this
requirement, so foreign ships can also help distribute oil and gasoline
to where it's needed. Today's action will further help us move gasoline
to accommodate the demands of the American citizens.
Steps we're taking will help address the problem of availability, but
it's not going to solve it. Americans should be prudent in their use of
energy during the course of the next few weeks. Don't buy gas if you
don't need it.
This recovery is going to be a long process. It's going to take a lot
of hard work and patience and resolve. It's also going to require a lot
of money. And the federal government will do its part. But the private
sector needs to do its part, as well. And that's why I've asked
Presidents Bush and Clinton to lead a nationwide fundraising effort to
help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
In the days ahead, the former Presidents will ask Americans to open
their hearts and their wallets to help those in need. And they're going
to talk to large corporations and small businesses and individual
citizens across the nation. The contributions will benefit the relief
organizations that are doing vital work on the ground. We're going to
take a look and make sure that the money raised is money needed. Right
now if our fellow citizens want to help, they ought to give a cash
donation to the Red Cross, which they can find at phone number
1-800-HELP-NOW.
I was so proud of the efforts that President Clinton and President Bush
did to help the victims of the tsunami relief. Our country marveled at
their capacity to rally our citizens and to work together. And, once
again, I've asked them to work to help the needs of those who hurt.
And, once again, I'm confident that the American people will respond.
I know this is an agonizing time, or we all know this is an agonizing
time for the people of the Gulf Coast. I ask their continued patience
as recovery operations unfold. I can assure them that the thoughts and
prayers of the entire nation are with them and their loved ones. I'm
also confident that when it's all said and done, the efforts to rebuild
the great city of New Orleans and to rebuild those communities in
Mississippi and to help the folks in Alabama will make this nation a
stronger place.
May God bless you all.
END 2:50 P.M. EDT
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