New Orleans 'allowed to die'

2005-12-14 22:03

Washington - Congress has a responsibility to help rebuild New Orleans' levees, Louisiana's governor said on Wednesday, reminding lawmakers of devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina that could have been avoided if the floodwalls hadn't failed.

Funding for rigorous inspections and to install monitoring devices should be included in plans to rebuild and strengthen levees, goernor Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat, told a special House committee investigating the government's response to Katrina.

"The federal government funds our levees just as they do bridges and dams across the country, and we need you to provide adequate funding now," Blanco said in written testimony to the panel. "This is our number one priority. As I've said before, if the levees had not failed, we wouldn't be having this hearing."

Documents to be subpoenaed

Blanco and New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin, also a Democrat, appeared before the House committee as Gulf Coast lawmakers scrambled to secure aid for the devastated region before Congress leaves Washington for the rest of the year.

Nagin called New Orleans "a city that is being allowed to die as we speak".

The hearing opened as lawmakers considered a proposal by Republican Charlie Melancon, D-La., to subpoena documents from the White House and Pentagon detailing internal communication about the August 29 storm's approach and destruction.

The hearing marked the last public meeting of the House committee, chaired by Republican Tom Davis, R-Va., which plans to wrap up its investigation by February 15. While some Democrats are participating, party leaders have asked Democrats to boycott the inquiry that they believe should be done by an independent commission.

"We cannot do our job if we don't get these documents, and we won't get these documents if we don't subpoena them," Melancon said.

- AP