Thompson: GOP blocking recovery efforts

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., charged Republicans have failed to address preparedness problems exposed by the Sept. 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina.

Thompson, delivering the Democrats' Saturday radio address, said "the Bush administration and the rubber-stamp Republican Congress have failed to adequately prepare our nation, leaving us vulnerable to large-scale disasters."

The seven-term U.S. congressman said the recent anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Katrina served as a reminder that the federal government hasn't done enough for the region. He said Republicans have ignored the recommendations of the bipartisan Sept. 11 commission on homeland security.

"And time and time again, Republicans have blocked Democratic efforts to implement and fund these recommendations to ensure our safety," Thompson said.

"America, the Gulf Coast will rebuild and recover. Our sisters, brothers, and neighbors are hard at work to make it happen," he said. "Now we just need to insist that the federal government does right and that matches the fervor and resilience of the American spirit."