Tuesday, August 29, 2006

ROBERTS: You've been here more than a dozen times over the year, your husband as well -- $110 billion the federal government has allocated for hurricane relief. Yet, there is still criticism. In The New York Times on Monday, a very critical article saying that this is going to be a "mark" on the Bush administration for a very long time, and "[i]t will be in every textbook." How do you respond to that?

BUSH: Well, I think that's not right, of course, and I think we should consider the source. But, with all due respect, there is a lot of money appropriated by the United States Congress that's coming here, that has been coming here, and different communities have used it in different ways. Some communities, obviously, are using the money to start rebuilding schools.

There is money for everything, but it takes more than just money. It really takes the efforts of everyone who lived here, who wants to come back, who's working there, of all officials, public officials, local, state, and federal, of other neighbors, other people who can figure out a way to help. Was the federal government slow? Sure, probably. Was every government slow, state and local? Absolutely. But, have they responded in a very, very helpful way? I think they have.