John Boehner, September 2, 2005

The tragedy that has befallen the Gulf Coast region in the wake of Hurricane Katrina -- the level of devastation, the lawlessness, the hurt and sick -- is truly staggering. It’s impossible to see the images on TV and newspapers and not be moved. But with much of the media coverage focused on what isn’t happening or what should be happening, let me tell you a little bit about what is happening.

As of this writing, 8,000 troops from the Louisiana National Guard are providing relief and clean-up efforts for New Orleans. The Pentagon estimates more than 30,000 National Guard troops will eventually be deployed along the Gulf coast. Another 3,000 soldiers from the Army will pursue armed gangs and looters.

The Ohio National Guard launched Operation Buckeye to provide recovery and relief support. Joining those troops in New Orleans are many young men and women from the 8th District. The 1st Battalion 148th Infantry Regiment out of Lima and the 324th Military Police Company out of Middletown have already been deployed.

With many homes and schools in Katrina’s path destroyed or in disrepair, affected parents will be able to enroll their children in public schools in surrounding states -- including here in Ohio. And Miami University has opened its doors to students from colleges shuttered by the storm, including Tulane and Loyola.

Wal-Mart has pledged $17 million to the relief effort and is opening up a series of outlets in hard-hit areas. These "mini-Wal-Marts" will distribute clothing, diapers, baby wipes, food, formula, toothbrushes, bedding, and water -- free of charge.

Less than a week after the hurricane hit, charitable donations reached nearly $100 million.

Volunteers from the Dayton Area chapter of Red Cross have made their way to Florida, Texas, and Alabama. The Butler County Red Cross has taken a number of calls from individuals offering free lodging for hurricane victims. I’ve had folks contacting my office asking for ways they can help -- one such gentleman from Camden just offered his services as an electrician. When he was thanked for his call he said flatly, "I’m an American. That’s what we do."

The story is the same every time disaster strikes: American troops, American volunteers, American companies, and American dollars will ultimately make the difference. No matter where it is, Americans heed the call for help and arrive to lend a hand.

Of course, the usual suspects have been vocal in assigning blame for the disaster -- and the hurricane itself in some cases -- to the President. One of their favorite talking points has been that global warming and President Bush’s rejection of the flawed Kyoto Treaty has caused an increase in devastating hurricanes.

The truth is less dramatic. According to the National Hurricane Center of the National Weather Service, the number of hurricanes isn’t increasing, and the number of the most serious -- category 4 and 5 -- is down compared to previous decades. William M. Gray, a professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University, has called the hurricanes we’ve seen the last two years a "natural swing," and attributes them to several decades-long temperatures cycles in the Atlantic Ocean.

Right now, people should be focusing on constructive action -- not political posturing. We need to keep that in mind in the weeks and months ahead as we assess the damage left behind by Hurricane Katrina.

The questions of what went right and what went wrong in the clean-up and recovery of the Gulf Coast will occupy our minds for a long time. If we are to learn anything we need to approach the subject honestly and head-on. But we should never lose sight of one simple fact: America isn’t just the greatest force for freedom in the world -- it is also the greatest source of compassion and good will

Congressman John Boehner, a Republican, represents Ohio's Eighth Congressional District, which includes Miami, Butler, Preble, Darke, and Mercer Counties.