Mr. Speaker. in January I traveled to Aceh. Puquet and Colombo and saw American foreign aid save the lives of tens of thousands of people ravaged by the tsunami. Two weeks ago. I was in Darfur. Sudan and visited refugee and IDP camps in that warravaged area and saw firsthand U.S. taxpayer funds and U.S. leadership saving and rebuilding the lives of hundreds of thousands of Africans. But charity begins at home. Mr. Speaker. and we must leave no stone unturned in our effort to save the lives of Americans. our neighbors. devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Todays appropriation is a downpayment.