mr. speaker , this is a very important debate for our country .  i can not imagine anything more important to the american people than an independent investigation of why the response to hurricane katrina fell so short of expectations .  we need a full accounting of what went wrong at all levels of government so such failures do n't happen again .  i support the appointment of a non-partisan , independent commission -- modeled after the successful 9/11 commission -- to investigate the response to hurricane katrina .  an independent commission is the only way to get to the bottom of this .  the commission would look into every aspect of the preparation and response to hurricane katrina , and let the chips fall where they may .  the american people have made it clear this is what they want as well .  a new washington post/abc poll found that 76 percent of the public supports the creation of an independent commission .  the leadership of the house badly misreads the public mood when it disregards the clear wishes of the american people for a non-partisan investigation .  we need to look at our government 's weaknesses and correct them .  i oppose the straightjacket procedure under which the house is considering this legislation .  the majority calls this a `` select bipartisan committee , '' but the legislation was drafted behind closed doors with no input from democrats .  this is bipartisanship ?  the leadership of the house will not even allow democrats the opportunity to offer a substitute and have a straight up-or-down vote on it .  is the majority 's position so weak that it can not withstand a debate ?  i do n't think the american people are going to have much patience for partisanship on this issue .  they want answers and a measure of public accountability , not a partisan whitewash .  there are hard questions to be asked about the slow , disorganized , and woefully inadequate response to a natural disaster that left a major u.s. city uninhabitable .  the proposal before the house calls for a house investigation that would be completely controlled by the republican party .  republicans would outnumber democrats on the committee 11 to 9. there would be no bipartisan subpoena power .  with all due respect , this would be an investigation in name only .  it would have no credibility with the american people .  you ca n't have a comprehensive and fair investigation when the people controlling that investigation have a vested interest in the outcome .  i urge the house to reject this unfair procedure and reject the very partisan investigation it seeks to establish .  