Bush Watches Over Federal Response to Storm

AUSTIN, Texas —  President Bush spent Saturday monitoring the government’s response to Hurricane Rita, sitting in on a military briefing in Colorado Springs, Colo., and then returning to his home state to tour an emergency operations center.

The president, whose administration was criticized for its slow response to Hurricane Katrina a month ago, said he was pleased with the government’s performance in the latest storm to slam into the Gulf Coast region.

In remarks to reporters, Bush said the briefings had reassured him that “our federal government is well-organized and well-prepared to deal with Rita.” He said he was impressed “by the capability of our military to plan, organize and move equipment to help the people in the affected areas.”

Bush spoke to reporters after receiving an hourlong briefing from military leaders at the U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs and from federal officials linked by videoconference nationally.

He had flown from Washington to Colorado Springs on Friday and spent the night at Peterson Air Force Base. The Pentagon’s Northern Command, based at Peterson, is responsible for deploying troops domestically.

On Saturday, Bush flew to Austin, where the warm, sunny afternoon contrasted with the remnants of wind and rain a few hundred miles away. The president was briefed at the Texas Emergency Operations Center by local and state officials, including Gov. Rick Perry, who succeeded him as the state’s top executive in 2000.

Bush told workers there: “The people of the state are counting on you.... We have a duty. I’m really here to let the folks in Texas know that the federal government knows we have a responsibility to support you in the mission of saving lives first and foremost, and then helping rebuild their lives.”

Bush was on the defensive after Hurricane Katrina. As Rita approached last week, the administration worked overtime to project a more hands-on approach, starting with the president.

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said Bush was engaged in a fact-finding mission with an eye toward systemic changes to improve government responses to crises.

In his weekly radio address Saturday, Bush declared: “Over the past week, federal, state and local governments have been closely coordinating their efforts for Hurricane Rita. The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA pre-positioned food, water, ice and emergency response teams, and helped with the evacuations in Texas and Louisiana. Military assets were also pre-positioned so they could be deployed immediately after the storm passes.”

He cited a series of actions and statistics, including half a dozen Navy ships in the region, which he listed by name; 3,500 Texas National Guard troops, “with more on call”; and Coast Guard cutters, aircraft and helicopters “in place to rescue, evacuate and relocate civilians trapped by the storm.”

From Northern Command, Bush urged Rita evacuees in Texas and Louisiana to remain out of the storm’s path while officials assessed the damage.

“Even though the storm has passed the coastline, the situation is still dangerous because of potential flooding,” the president said. “It’s going to take a while for the authorities on the ground to fully understand the impact of the flooding. And therefore, people who are safe now ought to remain in safe conditions.”

After stops in San Antonio and Baton Rouge today, Bush was to return to Washington in the afternoon.