SENATOR KENNEDY JOINS FORCES WITH RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS FOR HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS

SENATOR KENNEDY JOINS FORCES WITH RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS FOR HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMSWashington, D.C.—Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy met with relief organizations working to provide support to Hurricane Katrina victims. The participants, among whom Michael Casserly, Executive Director, Council of Great City Schools, Leslie Baskerville, Executive Director of the National Association of Equal Opportunity in higher Education (NAFEO) and Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association met with the legislators today to discuss the situation in the gulf coast and the best ways to implement relief and support services for those affected. Dozens of representatives from nationwide relief organizations met with Kennedy this morning and relayed their experiences and recommendations for meeting the challenge of providing support services to a region severely hit with health care, education, economic and structural devastation. These recommendations, along with initial proposals put forth by Kennedy and Chairman Mike Enzi, will result in legislation to assist Hurricane Katrina victims. Senator Kennedy, ranking member of the United State Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, will propose legislative remedies to ensure that hurricane victims will receive critical support in the days and months ahead. Among the proposals offered are initiatives in health care, education and economic relief. Addressing the health care challenges is a top priority as curbing infectious disease in the region and providing mental health outreach and support are immediate concerns that have the ability to affect long-term relief efforts. Senator Kennedy believes that persons affected by the hurricane should be eligible for Medicaid with full Federal reimbursement and waived co-payments, in addition to HHS waiving the income and residency requirements for Medicaid. Kennedy is also working with the mental health community to ensure that evacuees have the resources they need to cope with this disaster. Many of those affected by the hurricane are children and students pursuing higher education. Kennedy will seek $2,500 per child to school districts who receive displaced children, as well as freezing student debt repayment for six months. Displaced students receiving student aid should continue and matching for campus-based aid programs should be waived for those universities accepting displaced students. Economists predict that up to one million people will be left jobless as a result of the hurricane. Proposals to provide economic aid to evacuees include providing disaster unemploymentassistance for unemployed workers, allowing people to withdraw funds from 401 (k)s and IRA’spenalty-free and allowing the postponement and payment deadlines for pension plans. Kennedy said, “Hurricane Katrina and the destruction it caused in multiple southern states is a national tragedy, and the national government needs to lead in the months and years ahead. We can’t rest until we’ve rebuilt these communities and until we’ve restored hope in the hundreds of thousands of American citizens who find themselves homeless, jobless, and without any idea of what the future holds for them.”The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will convene on Thursday to discuss and put into motion the proposals outlined today. ###