Washington, DC— Congresswoman Diane E. Watson (CA-33), members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Hip Hop Caucus, and the Gulf Coast Renewal Campaign today held a press conference on Capitol Hill to protest FEMA's impending eviction of Hurricane Katrina survivors.

Congresswoman Watson delivered the following statement:  

"I am Congresswoman Diane E. Watson.  I represent California's  33rd congressional district, which includes Los Angeles and Culver City.

"Los Angeles is almost two thousand miles away from New Orleans.  But, historically, Los Angeles has had strong and lasting ties to New Orleans and Louisiana.  After World War II, many African American families migrated from New Orleans in search of better housing and job opportunities.  Many settled in south Los Angeles.

"Right after the hurricane hit Louisiana, I attended my church in Los Angeles and asked the congregation how many of them had family members displaced by the hurricane.  Well over one hundred and fifty people in the congregation raised their hands. 

"We in Los Angeles may be thousands of miles removed from Hurricane Katrina's ground zero, but the fact of the matter is that tens of thousand of Angelenos have been directly affected by one of the largest natural disasters ever to visit the shores of the United States.

"Tomorrow, March 15, over six months after Hurricane Katrina hit, marks one more day of many days of infamy – a day on which FEMA has decided to evict residents of Louisana and Mississippi from their hotels and motels.   Many families – men, women, and children– may have no other choice but to live on the street.  There are families in Los Angeles–survivors of Katrina– facing the same fate.
 
"This is cruel and unusual treatment.  More accurately, it is a crime against humanity.  It is a crime against humanity that is being perpetrated by the ongoing incompetency of FEMA and the Bush adnministration.  It is a crime against humanity that is being condoned by government neglect and ineptitude.  It is a crime against humanity that is sending people long distances from their communities to live in temporary shelters or trailers where many can't find jobs or a way to support their family.  And It is a crime against humanity when so many people have been promised so much by FEMA – be it adequate rental assistance or trailers– and FEMA repeatedly fails to deliver. 

"And to heap insult upon injury, more than 10,000 thousand government-bought mobile homes in Hope, Arkansas are sitting unused, rotting, and sinking into the mud.  I don't mean to disparage the good people of Hope, Arkansas, but there's no hope for the hurricane victims in Hope, Arkansas. 

"Our government is spending nearly a billion dollars a day in Iraq attempting to implement a foreign policy that now only 3 out of every 10 Americans support.  Just think what a billion dollars a day would do the Gulf recovery and for the fate of many victims who are quickly being forgotten and left behind.  Just think what a few billion could do to rebuild truly adequate levees.

"Finally, let me say this about the upcoming mayoral race in New Orleans.  When it came to Iraq, our government set up polling places 10,000 miles away from Iraq so that expatriate Iraqis could exercise their democratic right to vote.  But apparently that's not the case for the evacuees of New Orleans who are being denied the right to vote at polling stations in their temporary communities.  The powers that be are moving on with the elections next month despite the fact that the impending elections are in violation of the Voting Rights Act.

"So, I stand here today with my congressional colleagues, with Rev. Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus, and others in your call for justice.  The federal government must end its unholy and shameful practice now that will put survivors of Katrina on the street.  I stand here with you and together we will not stand for evictions until real transitional and permanent housing and jobs are available for all who want to return to their homes. 

"You are not forgotten and you will not be forgotten."