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By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - House Republicans began their inquiry Thursday into the government's "largely abysmal" response to Hurricane Katrina as federal authorities prepared for another big storm threatening the Gulf Coast.
Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, the Republican leading the review, pledged "to investigate aggressively what went wrong and what went right" with federal emergency aid after Katrina.
"Even armed with solid, advance information on Katrina's severity, the response of local, state, and federal officials was largely abysmal," he said.
"We're going to let the facts go where they go," said Rep. Christopher Shays (news, bio, voting record), R-Conn.
Democrats, who are seeking an independent panel to investigate the response, have refused to participate in what House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., intended to be a bipartisan committee.
Nevertheless, two Democrats whose home states were crushed by Katrina — Reps. Gene Taylor of Mississippi and Charlie Melancon of Louisiana — attended the hearing.
"People of the Gulf Coast deserve a sober assessment of what went right and what went wrong," Melancon said.
The two Democrats said they were sending a letter to President Bush on Thursday asking him to establish an independent commission.
The hearing came a day after the Bush administration declared Hurricane Rita an "incident of national significance," officially releasing a quick and massive federal response to the destruction now expected to exceed state and local capabilities. The storm was expected to strike the Texas coast by early Saturday.
Such a federal designation for Katrina was not triggered until a day after that storm hit three weeks ago.
Even before the declaration, the government was rushing hospital beds, rescue teams and evacuation buses to Texas to prepare for Rita and prevent a replay of the missteps from Katrina. President Bush, pledging to be "ready for the worst," on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in Texas and Louisiana, and pleaded with people to comply with mandatory evacuation orders issued in New Orleans and Galveston, Texas.
"We want to make sure we're ready," R. David Paulison, acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said. "We'd rather preposition more assets than we need than not have enough."
FEMA sent nearly 1,200 medical and rescue personnel into Texas, and asked the Pentagon to send 2,500 hospital beds to potential disaster zones in Louisiana and Texas. The agency also directed the Transportation Department to send 200 buses to Texas to help move residents out of harm's way.
Officials said rescue teams and supplies already in Louisiana to deal with Katrina would remain to respond to Rita.
The Pentagon prepared to send five communications teams and 20 active-duty helicopters, some to transport rescue teams, U.S. Northern Command spokesman Michael Kucharek said. Texas Gov. Rick Perry has activated some 5,000 National Guard troops.
Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, said an additional 1,300 National Guardsmen from Texas were returning from Louisiana. He said some active duty troops were involved in preparations.
In a sign of how the Pentagon was trying to move quickly, Lt. Gen. Robert Clark, commander of the Texas-based 5th Army, was named to lead the joint military task force for Hurricane Rita. In Katrina's case, the military's commander was not designated until after the storm struck.
Additionally, Coast Guard Adm. Larry Hereth was overseeing the federal preparedness and response efforts in the region. Communications problems plagued the Katrina response, but Hereth said Thursday that federal officials were working closely with Texas to avoid that.
"We're tightly wired," Hereth told CBS' "The Early Show."
WASHINGTON - House Republicans began their inquiry Thursday into the government's "largely abysmal" response to Hurricane Katrina as federal authorities prepared for another big storm threatening the Gulf Coast.
Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, the Republican leading the review, pledged "to investigate aggressively what went wrong and what went right" with federal emergency aid after Katrina.
"Even armed with solid, advance information on Katrina's severity, the response of local, state, and federal officials was largely abysmal," he said.
"We're going to let the facts go where they go," said Rep. Christopher Shays (news, bio, voting record), R-Conn.
Democrats, who are seeking an independent panel to investigate the response, have refused to participate in what House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., intended to be a bipartisan committee.
Nevertheless, two Democrats whose home states were crushed by Katrina — Reps. Gene Taylor of Mississippi and Charlie Melancon of Louisiana — attended the hearing.
"People of the Gulf Coast deserve a sober assessment of what went right and what went wrong," Melancon said.
The two Democrats said they were sending a letter to President Bush on Thursday asking him to establish an independent commission.
The hearing came a day after the Bush administration declared Hurricane Rita an "incident of national significance," officially releasing a quick and massive federal response to the destruction now expected to exceed state and local capabilities. The storm was expected to strike the Texas coast by early Saturday.
Such a federal designation for Katrina was not triggered until a day after that storm hit three weeks ago.
Even before the declaration, the government was rushing hospital beds, rescue teams and evacuation buses to Texas to prepare for Rita and prevent a replay of the missteps from Katrina. President Bush, pledging to be "ready for the worst," on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in Texas and Louisiana, and pleaded with people to comply with mandatory evacuation orders issued in New Orleans and Galveston, Texas.
"We want to make sure we're ready," R. David Paulison, acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said. "We'd rather preposition more assets than we need than not have enough."
FEMA sent nearly 1,200 medical and rescue personnel into Texas, and asked the Pentagon to send 2,500 hospital beds to potential disaster zones in Louisiana and Texas. The agency also directed the Transportation Department to send 200 buses to Texas to help move residents out of harm's way.
Officials said rescue teams and supplies already in Louisiana to deal with Katrina would remain to respond to Rita.
The Pentagon prepared to send five communications teams and 20 active-duty helicopters, some to transport rescue teams, U.S. Northern Command spokesman Michael Kucharek said. Texas Gov. Rick Perry has activated some 5,000 National Guard troops.
Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, said an additional 1,300 National Guardsmen from Texas were returning from Louisiana. He said some active duty troops were involved in preparations.
In a sign of how the Pentagon was trying to move quickly, Lt. Gen. Robert Clark, commander of the Texas-based 5th Army, was named to lead the joint military task force for Hurricane Rita. In Katrina's case, the military's commander was not designated until after the storm struck.
Additionally, Coast Guard Adm. Larry Hereth was overseeing the federal preparedness and response efforts in the region. Communications problems plagued the Katrina response, but Hereth said Thursday that federal officials were working closely with Texas to avoid that.
"We're tightly wired," Hereth told CBS' "The Early Show."