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Former Presidents Team Up Again For Hurricane Relief Fundraising Effort
By Melanie Hunter
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
September 2, 2005

(CNSNews.com) -- President Bush, flanked by his father former President George H.W. Bush and former President Bill Clinton, announced Thursday that the former presidents will team up on a nationwide fundraising effort, like they did for the tsunami, to help with the recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast.

Over 80 FEMA teams have been deployed to the Gulf Coast to conduct search and rescue missions, in addition to a number of federal agencies who are providing help to survivors of the hurricane, Bush said. But the private sector should pitch in as well, he said.

"In the days ahead, the former presidents will ask Americans to open their hearts and their wallets to help those in need. And they're gonna talk to large corporations and small businesses and individual citizens across the nation. The contributions will benefit the relief organizations that are vital work on the ground," said Bush.

Major oil refineries have been shut down, and the federal government is working on getting pipelines, which carry refined product, up and running, the president said.

The Colonial Pipeline, a major pipeline which serves the East Coast, is back in operation but only at 50 percent capacity, Bush said.

"We anticipate that as the days go by, more and more of that capacity will be restored. Other major pipelines are coming back online," the president said, but the nation will experience "a temporary disruption of gasoline product."

In addition, "downed pipelines are causing the need to transport gasoline to needed markets by ship. Under current law, shipping between American ports can only take place on American ships, and there are currently not enough American ships to move the oil and gasoline to where it's needed," Bush said.

The president instructed Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to waive the requirement so foreign ships can help carry oil and gasoline to where it's needed.

"Today's action will further help us move gasoline to accommodate the demands of the American citizens. Steps we're taking will help address the problem of availability, but it's not gonna solve it. Americans should be prudent in their use of energy during the course of the next few weeks. Don't buy gas if you don't need it," Bush said.

Meanwhile, Congress will reconvene Thursday evening or Friday to pass emergency legislation to deal with Hurricane Katrina's aftermath.

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