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 .  