WASHINGTON — President Bush on Thursday promised the hundreds of thousands displaced by Hurricane Katrina that the government would be with them "for the long haul," and Congress voted to provide $51.8 billion in emergency funds to finance the relief and reconstruction programs.
Despite the expanded efforts, which increase total federal spending on the emergency to $62.3 billion, partisan rancor undermined attempts to project a spirit of unity. And new polls indicated that many Americans were displeased with the government's performance.
Substantial majorities of respondents in three national surveys expressed disappointment with Bush's handling of the emergency and characterized the government's initial relief efforts as too slow. Bush's job approval ratings slipped to new lows.
The dissatisfaction suggested that the White House was having trouble diverting attention from its initial response and was instead focusing attention on signs of progress.
In New Orleans, meanwhile, police tried to root out residents who, 10 days after the hurricane, still were refusing to leave their flooded homes. And emergency workers fanned out across the city as water levels continued to drop, exposing the bodies of Katrina's victims.
"We have much more work to do," the president said, speaking of assisting the residents of New Orleans and the surrounding coastal regions of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama whose lives have been upended by the hurricane that laid waste to much of the Gulf Coast last week.
In his televised address, Bush urged victims to act quickly to get in touch with representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is coordinating the government relief effort.
The number to call is 1-800-621-FEMA, Bush said. About 3,000 operators were staffing the phone lines, he said, and more were on the way. For those storm victims with access to computers, assistance is available at www.govbenefits.gov and www.fema.gov.Bush said the government aid package included an initial cash payment of $2,000 per family to help with immediate needs, such as food and clothing. FEMA representatives will help get cash into the hands of people staying in emergency shelters and other temporary housing, he said.
He told evacuees: "By registering for the first $2,000, you will begin the process of arranging for the delivery of other, longer-term assistance" -- including health, welfare, housing, food stamps, school lunches, child care, mental health, foster care and job training.
