Cole and Boren Statement on Oklahoma Evacuee Relief Effort

Washington, D.C. – 1,400 Gulf Coast residents have been evacuated to Camp Gruber near Muskogee, Okla., with hundreds more expected. As many as 3,000 additional evacuees may be moved to Falls Creek, Okla., in the coming days.

Congressman Tom Cole (OK-4) and Congressman Dan Boren (OK-2) released the following statement on Oklahoma's evacuee relief effort:

"Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath have resulted in one of the biggest dislocations of our citizens in American history, rivaling the Great Depression and the Civil War,"Cole said. "Tens of thousands of people have had their homes and businesses destroyed and will be unable to return home for months. The scope of this disaster is unprecedented in our modern history," Cole added

"Oklahomans have responded to this national emergency like a family," Boren said. "We have opened our homes, churches and communities to come to the aide of thousands of displaced victims. We are extraordinarily proud of the way our state and her people are stepping forward to pick up our share of the burden, Boren continued."

"There is a great deal of work that lies ahead for the Oklahoma delegation. We must continue to work together in a bipartisan manner to ensure communities, tribes and organizations stepping into the breach have the support – financial and otherwise – needed. This will be a costly and lengthy endeavor," Cole said.

"Beyond the immediate needs of the hurricane victims, we need to make sure Oklahoma communities are getting the help they need as they provide schooling for children, medical attention and other assistance sure to be needed," Boren said.

Boren and Cole pledged to continue to work together on a bipartisan basis. The best interests of all Oklahomans will be best served through cooperation, flexibility and creativity as the entire state tries to address the challenges of dealing with a large number of evacuees who need a great deal of help and the continued prayers of us all.

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