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“ANSWERED PRAYERS” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1170 on June 16, 2006.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
ANSWERED PRAYERS
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HON. TED POE
of texas
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, the costs of Hurricane Katrina and Rita are far more than dollar amounts. For days, thousands of people fought for survival among the rising flood waters, lack of food and water, and outlaws victimizing the weak and helpless. In an attempt to lead the smallest victims of the hurricanes to safety, desperate, yet well-
meaning parents sent their children with family and evacuation workers fleeing for safety. Their hope was to reunite after the storm; however, full panic soon engulfed Louisiana and Texas. Many parents found it impossible to locate these children once the storms had passed. Terrified parents made heart wrenching pleas to anyone who would listen. They spent countless hours praying for news of their kids.
Mr. Speaker, one organization heard their prayers and responded with the will and manpower to find these children. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children would undertake the tremendous task of locating 5,172 missing children. Mr. Speaker, after the winds stopped and the flood waters receded, all 5,172 children were found. It was only through the unwavering and relentless dedication that these children were found, and returned to the safe arms of their parents. I now pay tribute to those tireless children crusaders.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, NCMEC, was established in 1984 by John and Reve Walsh in response to the kidnapping and disappearance of their son, Adam, in 1981. The center makes it their mission to locate, and successfully bring home, missing children across the United States. When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit Louisiana and Texas, the U.S. Department of Justice requested NCMEC's help in locating the displaced children of the hurricanes' victims. NCMEC responded with lightning speed, establishing a Katrina Missing Persons Hotline, with 30 telephones and 160 highly trained Project ALERT and Project ADAM volunteers to man the hotlines. Over the next few days, they would report thousands of missing child sightings.
These child crusaders spent long days and nights looking throughout America for these missing children. Photographs were used to help identify these children. The center tracked down leads, handled phone calls, and in the end, reunited families. They did not perform these tasks all on their own, however. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, USPIS, American Airlines, and thousands of nameless, silent volunteers aided the NCMEC in the successful recovery of all 5,172 missing children.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service responded to the prayers for help much like the NCMEC. These highly dedicated lawmen and women used the U.S. Postal Service's change of address information system to reunite these families. Safety precautions were taken by the USPIS to ensure no misuse of the information system occurred. Members of the highly trained Project ALERT and Project ADAM teams, as well as the NCMEC case analysts, worked in cooperation with the special Hurricanes Katrina and Rita change of address operation in Tennessee, reunited children with parents. American Airlines became the angels in the sky for the NCMEC, donating numerous airline tickets, which successfully led to 89 children being brought home safe.
I was present when First Lady Laura Bush held a reception on Monday, June 12, at the White House to show appreciation to all those wonderful people. She invited these heroes to join her, along with six Members of Congress, and several of the reunited families. Everyone extended heart-felt gratitude for the tireless efforts achieved by these individuals. Rebecca Gonzales, wife of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and John and Reve Walsh were present as well. The First Lady praised the collaborative efforts of these organizations and individuals, expressing her gratitude for the heroes who relentlessly crusaded for the most helpless victims of the hurricanes--the children.
It is my honor to pay tribute to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, as well as the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, American Airlines, and thousands of volunteers for answering the prayers of the despondent hurricane parents. Today, 5,172 children have been led back to their families, another example of Americans helping Americans when the tidewaters of trouble have risen.
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