Reply #63: Congressional Republicans consolidate investigations into response [View All]

[UpInArms]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/12584331.htm

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - Republican leaders halted congressional investigations into the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina on Wednesday and announced a new joint Senate-House of Representatives inquiry that won't convene for weeks and will deliver its conclusions in February.

President Bush asked for nearly $52 billion in additional relief, his budget director promised that even more will be needed within weeks, and some lawmakers estimated that the total cost will reach $200 billion.

Congress' budget watchdog predicted that the disaster would slow U.S. economic growth to an annual rate as low as half a percent in this year's final half, sharply down from the 3 percent-plus rate in the first half.

With Democrats condemning the Bush administration's initial response to the hurricane and several Senate and House committees calling for separate investigations, Republican congressional leaders said they'd consolidate all inquiries under one joint committee.

The last such joint investigation was the 1987 Iran-Contra inquiry during the Reagan presidency.

"We all agree that in many areas the initial relief response to Hurricane Katrina was unacceptable at the local, state and federal levels," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. "This joint committee will be tasked with reviewing at all levels of government the immediate preparation and recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Americans deserve answers."

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