mr. speaker , i thank the gentlewoman from new york for yielding me this time . 
mr. speaker , when hurricane katrina came ashore and ravaged the gulf states and the levees in new orleans , americans united in their support of those in need and the communities devastated by this terrible disaster . 
as katrina passed over the gulf states and in the days that followed , americans saw firsthand the devastation and human suffering that resulted . 
we were also eyewitnesses to the tragedy of hundreds of thousands of people who had escaped the wrath of the terrible storm only to then be stranded in the superdome , the convention center , or trapped on the roofs , surrounded by rising flood waters with little in the way of food , water , or medical care . 
mr. speaker , we saw and felt the ensuing heartbreak . 
mothers became separated from their children , elderly parents were unaccounted for , and siblings were trying to look after each other . 
with the passage of time , our outrage and frustration set in . 
reporters and the media managed to get to the heart of the disaster ; yet there was little sign of our federal relief efforts . 
just as the american people united to aid the victims of katrina , so too must congress . 
our constituents demand no less . 
they are more interested in getting answers than pointing fingers . 
they want to know that we are finding solutions and making recommendations to ensure our responses are never again at a snail 's pace . 
it is time for congress , as part of the federal government , and therefore an element of the relief response , to shoot straight with the american people . 
an independent commission , removed from the partisan fray , is better positioned to find answers . 
why were we not preparing our responses to katrina near land ? 
where was the coordination between federal , state , and local efforts ? 
there are many questions that must be answered and an independent commission is a means that can provide the answers . 
we saw the successful implementation following the tragedy of september 11 , and following this model congress will reassure the american people the answers that the independent commission finds and the recommendations they make are ones in which the nation can trust . 
i know my constituents are closely following this . 
my hometown of sacramento lies in a floodplain at the confluence of two great rivers and faces the constant threat of floods . 
if we find ourselves in dire circumstances , can my constituents be assured that they can count on prompt federal government response ? 
this is not a blame game . 
i am not interested in pointing fingers , nor are the american people . 
they are more interested in identifying areas of weakness and making the necessary improvements . 
this is about preventing another tragedy similar to what we witnessed in new orleans and the gulf states . 
we must ensure that the federal government does its job of protecting the american people , and with an independent commission we will do so . 
