Everyone and I want to start by thanking the president for visiting Louisiana and being on the ground here, in St. john the baptist Hara. And I want to thank all of these wonderful people who just gave him such a warm welcome. I will tell you since before the storm, he has been a tremendous partner, he's approved all of the requests that we've given him, and of course, we're gonna keep, we're gonna keep asking until he probably is gonna have to tell me no one something. But Mr. President, I happen to stay in Louisiana, we want to thank you for being here. We want to thank you for your support. And we look forward to working with you to get all of these people before we recover and get their lives rights out up again. And whatever we can do to be better partners with you and your team of please just let us know. And with that, Mr. President, is yours.
Thank you. Let me start off by thanking the folks in this neighborhood for letting me come in and see what's going on. Councilman, thank you. Thank you for everything, folks. Look, it's I'm grateful for the governor asking me to come on down to visit and to see what visit and I want to thank him for his leadership as well. You know, we just came from Emergency Operations Center here in St. John's Parish, and we just want this neighborhood I'm gonna walk in that way as well. But the fact is that we, you know, there's a lot of we just to see just exactly what's happening on the ground, see what's going on in people's homes. A lot of people care, for example, because they don't have cell connections are unaware of what available healthcare is right now to get. Even director and I were just talking to, we're going to make sure we have someone coming through here, going door to door letting people know what's available to them right now, because they can't connect on a line. And with a governor marriage and members of Congress, community leaders, all of us are here, we've been working together to deliver millions of meals and liters of water. And I know, I know you're frustrated by how long it takes to restore power was a dangerous word. 25,000 linemen from around the country have come here to Louisiana to help crews from 32 different states are helping, and two of them lost their lives in the process of trying to get power back. And we're gonna be working 24 seven, with the energy company. So we met with the heads up today. And we've deployed a more federal resources, including hundreds of generators. And there's more to come to restore power as fast as we possibly can, faster than anything happened during Katrina. We're also working on a cell phone with a cell phone company, so you can call your loved ones calling for help. Regardless where you are. Make sure your people you know, when you're lovey dovey, we'll talk to Lady be able to know whether they're okay, we're moving quickly, keep gas flowing through the prompts, including I've gone into the strategic petroleum reserves, that's what's been set aside, the crude oil provided flexibility for and provided flexibility how many hours, truckers are able to drive and transport gas and fuel because there's a law in America, you can't drive for safety reasons beyond so many hours a day, but we need more of this fuel. And we're expanding supply of gasoline that can be sold in the state of Louisiana. And there's much to be done. We're working around the clock with the governor and the elected officials here until we can meet every need y'all have. In fact, report suggests that some insurance companies may denied coverage for living assistance, unless the homeowner was under a mandatory evacuation order. And so you've paid your insurance premiums. They're supposed to get famous for additional living expenses in case of an emergency. Well, but insurance companies are saying no, no, no, we want to pay you what we owe. Well, we're putting as much pressure as you can. We know all the parishes that issue strong, voluntary evacuation orders first. And many didn't have enough time to make that order mandatory as a store moves so fast. And you know, even with voluntary evacuations, order, folks felt safest leaving their own was in many cases. No one fled this killer store because they were looking for a vacation or road trip. So folks, they left their home because they left and they felt that they had to flee the risk of death. There's nothing voluntary about that. And so I'm calling on private insurance companies don't hide behind the fine print and technicality. Pay what you owe your customers cover temporary housing costs and natural disasters and help those in need. That's what we should all be doing now. And that's what we are doing. So far, we have provided governance up as well $100 million in critical assistance directly to people in Louisiana by putting $500 in their bank accounts, once they've contacted us, that's what we're going to come back and let all you people know exactly how to do that that will happen. And secondly, as the governor's request, famous helping with what fancy phrase transitional shelter in his system at a place for you to be safely able to sleep at night, and be secure, like covering your hotel bill, you're racked up because you couldn't stay at home during the hurricane or because your home does not livable now. We're making sure this kind of relief is equitable for those artists get the resources they need have to get to them. And so no matter who you are, if you live in an affected area, please visit disaster assistance.gov once you're able to use your cell phone, or call one 800 621 FEMA, FEMA, that's 1-800-621-3362. And folks, Hurricane Irene is another reminder that we need to be prepared for the next hurricane. And super storms are going to come and they're going to come more frequently and more ferociously. I've been working closely with the governor and our colleagues in Congress and both parties on my bill back better plan that will modernize our roads, our bridges, our water system, sewers and drainage system, and power grids and transmission lines. To make sure they're more resilient. I walked through the backyards here, so many telephone lines are down so many telephone poles are down. So many of the of the way in which we transmit energy is lost. Because on wooden telephone pole, we know for a fact it's an underground, they're secure, cost more money, we got to not just build back to what it was with the same old poles up, we got to build back better, we got to build back more resilient. And we got to make sure we do the same thing across the board. Think about how that 760 million West Shore project here in southern Louisiana will build miles of new levees, pumping stations and drainage structures to provide protection for 60,000 folks in the area that will change their lives and future storms. I told the governor that he has my full support. And I mentioned silly in my full support to get this project done. And folks, I know you're hurting. I know you're hurting. I know the folks in Lake Charles, who I visited earlier this year are still hurting from Hurricane Laura, I want you to know we're going to be here for you. And with regard to Lake Charles I put in a request and loop in the budget to provide for help for recovery for Lake Charles as a consequence of why and delta, two storms that they still haven't gotten the needs that they met that they have. This isn't about being a Democrat or Republican. We're Americans. And we'll get through this together. But just got to remember, we not only had to build back we have to build back better than it was before. Better than it was before. So when another superstorm comes, it's not the damage done. So thank you all very much. I'm going to see the rest of the folks in the neighborhood here. But every time I'd walk out of my grandpa's house up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, yo, Joey, keep the faith. My grandmother we all know Joe is spreading. Let's spread the faith. Okay. Let's get this done together. Thank you. President says no, no marks in that right
