Nevada lawmakers head to Washington to help with response

Benjamin Grove

Friday, Sept. 2, 2005 | 9:50 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid was back at work here Thursday as congressional leaders rushed to the Capitol to approve an emergency package of federal money in response to Hurricane Katrina.

Reid, D-Nev., has been keeping a relatively low-profile and resting with family in Las Vegas following a minor stroke Aug. 16, although he says he feels fine. He was back on the Senate floor late Monday night, calling for the Senate to work together.

"Our unified response sends a powerful signal to victims of this tragedy, looking for signs that their government sees their plight and stands with them during this dark time," Reid said as he and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., were making special arrangements to approve $10.5 billion for hurricane victims, without most of their colleagues present.

Senate leaders, facing increasing criticism of federal response, approved the money as a down payment on relief efforts. House leaders were expected to follow suit today.

Most lawmakers, including Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., are due back in the Capitol on Tuesday, following an August recess.

Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., is in the disaster zone. He drove from Las Vegas to Jackson, Miss., arriving Tuesday, and was also traveling to Picayune, Miss., in an effort to help friends, Porter spokesman T.J. Crawford said. Porter was unavailable. Porter spoke only briefly with Crawford by satellite phone.

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., cut short his opening weekend of campaigning for governor to return to Washington today, canceling appearances in Northern Nevada. Gibbons' wife, Dawn, was planning to oversee a fund-raiser for her husband today in Winnemucca. Gibbons urged guests to write checks to the Red Cross and Salvation Army instead of his campaign, his campaign said.

Congressional officials said most of the money for hurricane relief -- $10 billion -- was earmarked for FEMA, the government's first-line defender in natural disasters. The remainder is for the Pentagon, which has dispatched ships and other assistance to aid in the relief effort.

The $10.5 billion outlay was expected to be the first of three bills that would send money to hurricane victims.

Senate Appropriations Committee Thad Cochrane, R-Miss., on Thursday said FEMA was spending $500 million a day.

Reid asked Frist to set aside the Senate's previously planned schedule for next week to immediately consider approving hurricane relief aid. On that schedule was a controversial bill that would repeal the estate tax, and a bill that would grant federal recognition to native Hawaiians.

Reid suggested that it would be unseemly for Congress to spend its first week back considering a bill that would repeal a tax largely paid by the wealthy.

Frist spokeswoman Amy Call said Reid knows that hurricane response is Frist's "first priority."