at my direction, craig fugate a writer on tuesday. fema was on the ground before monday's tornado hit. their teams have completed searches and more than 1200 buildings. we have helped register 4200 people for disaster assistance. we have a approved 3.4 million dollars in direct aid. there is a lot more to come. it is not just the government response. we have seen incredible outpouring of support from community groups who are helping folks begin to recover. to this area has known more than its share of heart rate. people here pride themselves on the oklahoma standard, being able to work through disasters like this to come out stronger on the other side. that is what we have been seeing this week. from the forecasters to issue the warnings to the first responders, to the teachers who shielded with their own bodies their students, they have inspired us with their love and courage and fellowship. neighbors have been offering up spare bedrooms and couches. universities have opened up their bedrooms. this is a strong community with strong c

, they are sending craig fugate to oklahoma this morning.on his way. fema is on their way to help. >> bill: craig fugate is on his way and igor volsky is here. we're in good shape this morning. 1-866-55-press to join the conversation. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." (vo) she gets the comedians laughing and the thinkers thinking. >>ok, so there's wiggle room in the ten commandments, that's what you're saying. (vo) she's joy behar. >>current will let me say anything. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." >> bill: 12 minutes before the top of the hour this morning. "full court press" here this tuesday, may 21. hard to get our attention on anything other than the horrible situation, tragic situation out in moore oklahoma. the latest, just during the break, we learned the death count is now up to 91 victims from 51 to 91 just in that news update. 91 confirmed dead from that killer tornado yesterday including still 20 children, 240 is the latest count of people injured. we'll keep you updated on that through the morning. back t

and do you share the view of craig fugate that even though people may be well intentioned, may want to driving to the area is not the most helpful thing to do? bringing food and supplies also not the most helpful thing to do? >> yeah, one of the great things about the way the red cross works, those donations we get allow us to buy the materials we need right here in moore or in other cities and they're all a little bit different. and we know people want to do something right away. you know, i've seen people come in with a trailer of water and, you know, soft drinks and milk and orange juice. what do we do with that? how you have to store it and do other things. it really helps if you can make the financial donations. there are certainly other organizations around the community that are in touch with unique needs of the community. so you pay attention to those. we'll let people know about them. everybody's in this together. we're all working hard for the people here in moore, oklahoma. >> dan halliburton of the american red cross. happy birthday, sir. and thank you so much. >> thank you

fema administrator, craig fugate is with us from oklahoma city. can you hear us?reat. >> yes, i can. >> all right. it's great to have you with us. what can you tell us about the situation on the ground and how you are managing the needs of the people in this community going forward? >> well, as you pointed out, search and rescue teams have about completed their job. now the initial step is recovery. for folks who didn't have insurance, we are going out and getting them assistance. we are asking people to register with fema at 800-621-fema or go to disasterassistance.gov. we are going neighborhood to neighborhood to make sure people are getting the help they need. >> we are standing in one of those neighborhoods, mr. fugate, that's been leveled here. homes around us. we have talked to a lot of families who have been left homeless. what kind of long term measures will you implement to give these people housing and shelter? >> the first steps will be, there's an ability to get them assistance where they can get money to rent a place for a couple months. we will work

at my direction, craig fugate arrived here on tuesday. fema was on the ground even before monday's tornado hit. and their teams have now completed searches of more than 1200 buildings. we have helped to register more than 4200 people for disaster assistance, and we have approved more than 3.4 million dollars in direct aid. obviously, there's a lot more to come. but it's not just a government response. we have seen an incredible outpouring of support from churches, from community groups who are helping folks begin to recover. this area is known more than its share of heartbreak, but people here pride themselves on the oklahoma standard. you know, what governor fallin has called being able to work through disasters like this and come out stronger on the other side. that's what we have been seeing this week. from the forecasters to issued the warnings to the first responders who digged through the rubble to the teachers who shielded with their own bodies their students. oklahomans have inspired us with their love and their courage, and their

>> craig fugate. the head of fema, couldn't be here today but i want to thank them for their ongoing work. fema was here before sandy made landfall, they're still here today. >> john is still looking for them. he live on stat ten island. >> what did you milwaukee of this is? -- what tide you make of this? >> as i reported to you, fema's response was nowhere near satisfactory as far as our community was concerned. they came down early stage, with clipboards and a lot of looking around but there wasn't a lot of action and it really fell down to volunteer community grassroots organizations to give that initial response that the community needed. so, i don't feel great about all this backslapping on fema, especially seven months later when i know what is going on, on the ground in staten island and we're still not getting sufficient response. >> they're arguing it took them a while to get their sea legs but fema has been making up for lost time, providing help, helping to rebuild homes. you say? >> i say

at me direction, craig fugate arrived here on tuesday. fema was on the ground even before monday's tornado hit and their teams have now completed searches of more than 1200 buildings. we have helped to register more than 4200 people for disaster assistance and we have approved more than $3.4 million in direct aid. obviously there is a lot more to come. but you it is not just a government response. we have seen incredible outpourings of support from churches, if community groups who are helping folks begin to recover. this area has known more than its share of heartbreak but people here pride themselves on the oklahoma standard. what governor fallon called be hing able to work through disasters like this and come out stronger on the other side and that is what we he have been seeing this week. from the forecasters who issued the warnings to the first responders to dug through the rubble to the teachers who shielded with their own bodieser that students, inspired usave euphoria with their love and courage and their fellowship. neighbors hav

. >> fema administrator craig fugate. >> fema director craig fugate is on his way to oklahoma. >> he is on his way to oklahoma as we speak. >> the devastation unlike anything people on the ground have ever seen. >> for 40 minutes, tore through block after block of homes and businesses. >> damage measured in miles. >> leveling everything in its path, including two schools and a hospital. >> we have a lot of tornadoes in oklahoma but we don't have tornadoes like this. >> our prayers are with the people of oklahoma today and we will back up those prayers with deeds for as long as it takes. >> tonight, rescue workers here in moore, oklahoma, continue the work of searching for any signs of life from those who could still be trapped after yesterday's devastating tornado hit this community. we now know the tornado was an ef-5, the strongest type on the scale. winds as high as 210 miles per hour. officials have revised the number of fatal victims of the tornado down to 24 people, including a 3-month-old baby and eight other children, 237 people are listed as injured. here is a look at new vi

of course fema administrator, craig fugate has also been dispatched to oklahoma.ing with the governor before she delivers a press conference later today. no word yet on whether or not president obama will head to oklahoma. but it is very likely of course this is what we see him do as consoler in chief. he did it in the wake of the boston bombings. and of course, the plant fire in west texas. alex. >> kristen welker, live from the white house, thanks for the update. >>> coming up, the tragedy in oklahoma comes just six months after super storm sandy devastated parts of the northeast. we will discuss multibillion-dollar disasters and the cost of relief, when daniel weiss from the center for american progress joins us next. [ male announcer ] this is kevin. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. that was okay, but after lunch my knee started to hurt again, and now i gotta take more pills. ♪ yup another pill stop. can i get my alev

the president is also sending craig fugate.raig fugate is the head of fema, the federal emergency management agency. he is going to be on the ground helping to coordinate those efforts. it is not just fema. the small business association is getting involved. they have disaster assistance teams to do assessment on the ground. they will be offering low-cost loans. as a result of president obama signing a new disaster declaration overnight, five counties are now in line for federal assistance. some of that money could come pretty quickly as they try to get people in the area into some sort of temporary housing as a result of all this devastation, laura. >> it is just hard to believe. thank you very much, tracy. you know the devastation in oklahoma is so heart wrenching. today, relief organizations are trying to get the word out about how all of us can help. >> it is very important to do this. you can donate to the red cross disaster relief fund by calling 1-800-red cross. you can also text red cross to 9099 to donate $10. again, y

speaking later this morning, and we've learned that he is also going to be sending fema director craig fugate to oklahoma to oversee that effort. the small business administration is getting involved. they've got damage assessment teams already on the ground to try to help those families get back on their feet. and survivor assistance teams which is going to be key for so many people in oklahoma who have lost loved ones, especially the parents of those children who have been killed. >> tracie potts, thank you. live in washington with the latest in terms of aid from the federal government. >>> let's bring in nbc's bill karins. as we were talking at the top of the show, this idea of what is called -- so-called tornado alley. is this tornado alley? and what makes it different? >> central oklahoma, you know, kans kansas. we've had a lot of strong tornadoes in the last decade or two. especially down there in the southeast. alabama, mississippi and into areas even of georgia and tennessee's been hit hard, too. you know, you say tornado alley, this is probably the heart of it, i guess, is what most

already in oklahoma is fema director craig fugate. he told people they need to sign up with fema, to register with fema, to get the assistance they need, things like rental assistance, to get roofs back over their heads. he also talked about people encouraging them to use text messaging, not to use the cell phones unless they have an emergency and he said the best way for people around the country and world to help is through cash donations. also representative senator tom coburn talked about disaster relief funding, and he said if anything is needed beyond the $11 billion from the government to help rebuild oklahoma, he wants that to come through spending cuts elsewhere. remember that senator coburn was criticized earlier for voting against the relief package of after superstorm sandy because it did not include those offsets. no word yet from house speaker john boehner whether the leaf package for oklahoma will include those spending cuts elsewhere. anne-marie? >> susan mcginnis in washington. thank you very much, susan. >>> coming u

certainly when i traveled with craig fugate doing national services, the earthquake last year, they get it during an exercise environment, but how is that going to differ from reality? but it's permeating down to the local level now. and the next challenge is how do we cross that bridge to truly having community resiliency? how do we leverage faith-based and nongovernmental organizations to carry that message for local, state, and federal leaders? so, i think that's the next challenge going forward. but the messages being delivered from the top down, i think the next piece is how do you now move it horizontally across the community level. >> and in closing, i'm going to go down the panel and ask if there's any closing comments or points that you haven't had the opportunity to make. i think, you know, people are anxious to hear your thoughts on this particular program and on this mission because it is going to take all of us if the big one happens. so, if i can start with you, vice admiral beaman, if there is anything you'd like to impart, sir. >> actually, i have 37 things i'd like to t

at my direction, craig fugate a writer on tuesday. fema was on the ground before monday's tornado hit. their teams have completed searches and more than 1200 buildings. we have helped register 4200 people for disaster assistance. we have a approved 3.4 million dollars in direct aid. there is a lot more to come. it is not just the government response. we have seen incredible outpouring of support from community groups who are helping folks begin to recover. to this area has known more than its share of heart rate. people here pride themselves on the oklahoma standard, being able to work through disasters like this to come out stronger on the other side. that is what we have been seeing this week. from the forecasters to issue the warnings to the first responders, to the teachers who shielded with their own bodies their students, they have inspired us with their love and courage and fellowship. neighbors have been offering up spare bedrooms and couches. universities have opened up their bedrooms. this is a strong community with strong c

craig fugate is here, and obviously we're very proud of the work that he and his fema team have done.adership. amy simpson, i want to especially commend plaza towers elementary school principal as well as shelly mcmillan of the briarwood elementary school principal. they were on the ground when this happened, and because of their quick response, their keeping a level head, their putting kids first, saved a lot of people. and they're still going through some tough times. you know, i can only imagine being their husbands who were here and the panic that i'm sure they were feeling when the tornado first

the fema administrator, craig fugate, is on his way to oklahoma as we speak. fema staff was first deployed to oklahoma's emergency operations center on sunday as the state already was facing down the first wave of deadly tornados. yesterday, fema activated urban search-and-rescue teams from texas, nebraska, and tennessee to assist in the ongoing search-and-rescue efforts and a mobile response unit to boost communications and logistical support so the people of more should know that their country will remain on the ground, there for them, beside them as long as it takes. for there are homes and schools to rebuild, businesses and hospitals to reopen. there are parents to console, first-responders to comfort, and of course frighted children who will need our continued love and attention. there are empty spaces where there used to be living rooms and bedrooms and classrooms, and in time we're going to need to refill those spaces with love and laughter and community. we don't yet know the full extent of the damage from this week's storm. we don't know both the huma

you can't get time back in a disaster. >> good approach. >> craig fugate, thank you so much and good g. appreciate it. you're looking at these pictures again. you look at the pictures. it is still hard to grasp what is gopg going oing on. the front page of "usa today" the question today encapsulated it. unspeakable tragedy and 26 deaths. >> the 16-minute period of time people got out. >> they had warning and that is huge and some things we have spent some federal money on is getting tornado and severe weather sort of organizations in place to give people warning. >> cokie, people don't usually listen to warnings. >> they did here. >> they did. >> i think they did. the only thing that can explain it as you look at these pictures and the devastation, the only thing that can explain a death toll that was actually half of what we heard it was yesterday. >> thought it would double. >> we were told it was going to double from the medical examiner's office who, by the way, they need some calculators there. they double counted which, again, caused a lot of heartache for those first 24 to 48 h

so as craig fugate rightfully said, we're little bit worried as to what the pool looks like.s own, about $60 billion, in a separate piece of legislation. look, we're depleting these funds, since 2011, oh, about $200 billion has been spent on disaster relief. so there's a definite discussion. it's not partisan, but with people in the disaster relief world, about whether we can't begin to think about the distribution of these funds and a little bit more sophisticated way, including trying to give money to people who deserve it, but letting them build in a stronger way. we tend to, the way the law works is we give -- the u.s. government gives money out, but people have to build exactly the same. we saw that actually in oklahoma. >> let me ask brooke about that. because a lot of people don't have these tornado shelters, you know, built into their homes in some way. do they need extra resources to do that, because i would imagine that would be quite costly. >> well, it seems like the crux of the issue is precisely the that. it is the cost. i was out walking around in a neighborhoo

the fema administrator, craig fugate, is on his way to oklahoma as we speak.was first deployed to oklahoma's emergency operations center on sunday as the state already was facing down the first wave of deadly tornadoes. yesterday fema activated urban search and rescue teams from texas, nebraska, and tennessee to assist in the ongoing search and rescue efforts and a mobile response unit to boost communications and logistical support. so the people of moore should know that their country will remain on the ground, there for them, beside them, as long as it takes. there are homes and schools to rebuild, businesses and hospitals to reopen, parents to console, first responders to comfort and of course frightened children who will need our continued love and attention. there are empty spaces where there used to be living rooms and bedrooms and classrooms and in time we're going to need to refill those spaces with love and laughter and community. we don't yet know the full extent of the damage from this week's storm. we don't know both the human and economic losses t

fema administrator craig fugate is on the ground in oklahoma today. right now as the hours tick by, what emergency responders need most is to try to stop the clock. as everybody worries everyone may not find anymore victims of yesterday's disaster. joining us now is the mayor of oklahoma city. thank you for your time tonight, sir, i know this is an incredibly busy night for you. thank you. >> thank you, rachel. the end of a long day. >> what can you tell us about the latest in terms of search and rescue efforts in moore. we're hearing overall that the worry is that rescue efforts will have to wind down shortly if not now because of passage of time. do you expect they'll still find any survivors? >> no. no. i don't have any reason to expect that they'll find any survivors. i went into ground zero today and had to look at the most devastating parts myself and i can tell you it's unimaginable that anybody walked out of that debris alive. debris four foot high as far as you can see and inside the debris schoolbooks and children's toys and cars standing on

craig fugate, the head of fema, he couldn't be here today.to thank him and his team for their ongoing work. fema was here before sandy made landfall. they're still here today pop working with the governor's team and task force i set up to support families and communities who still need help. since the storm hit, we've provided billions of dollars to families and state and local governments across the region, and more is on the way. and even as my team is helping communities recover from the last hurricane season, they're starting to prepare for the next hurricane season, which starts this saturday, because if there's one thing that we've learned last year it's that when a storm hits, we've got to be ready. education, preparation, that's what makes a difference. that's what saves lives. and anyone who wants to make sure they're ready for a hurricane or any other disaster, i want them to visit a website called ready.gov, make a plan. it's never too early. we've got to remember that rebuilding effor like these aren't measured in weeks or months

craig fugate is here. and obviously, we're very proud of the work he and his fema team have done. of schools here, thank you for your leadership. amy simpson, i want to especially commend. plaza towers elementary school principal as well as shelly mcmillan of the briarwood elementary school principal. they were on the ground when this happened, and because of their quick response, their keeping a level head, their putting kids first, saved a lot of people. and they're still going through some tough times. you know, i can only imagine being their husbands who are here, and the panic that i'm sure they were feeling when the tornado first struck. but i know

fema administrator craig fugate on the ground in oklahoma, as are search and rescue teams from tennessee, nebraska, and texas. the president was briefed just before he spoke to reporters this home by homeland security secretary janet napolitano. she will be in the area tomorrow. the president spoke on the fun with the governor, the mayor, the congressman tom cole whose district includes the town. the president says the focus still is on fining survivors. >> our gratitude is with the teachers teachers who try tried to shield children, first responders and neighbors who went to help as soon as the tornado passed, and with off over those who such for survive -- searched for survivors through the night. as a nation our full focus is on the urgent work of rescue and the hard work of recovery and rebilling that lies ahead. >> president said there are homes and businesses to rebuild, schools and hospitals to re-open. he said the country will be with the people of moore for as long as it takens inch a lot of the trouble that -- the debate on capitol hell over providing aide to the victims of hur

. >> craig fugate. fema was here before sandy made landfall.y're still here today, they're working with the governor's team and with the task force i set up to support families and communities who still need help. since the storm hit. we've provided billions of dollars to families and state and local governments across the region and more is on the way. even as my team is helping people recover from the last hurricane season. they're helping people prepare for the next hurricane season. when a storm hits, we've got to be ready. education, preparation, that's what makes the difference. that's what saves lives. and anyone who wants to make sure they're ready for a hurricane or any other disaster. want them to visit something a website called ready.gov, make a plan, it's never too early. we've got to remember the rebuilding efforts like these aren't measured in weeks, months, but they're measured in years. that's why just this past thursday, we announced billions of new relief aid for new york and new jersey transit agencies, that's why the army c

. >> fema director craig fugate says the search will continue until everyone was found and stories of neighbors helping neighbors are already pouring in. >> we pulled a bunch of people out. a lot of them are elderly people. we pulled some younger people out, too. some didn't make it. some did. most of them did that we were involved with. i kicked the door in to save this one elderly lady and her grandkids and stuff and she had just gotten inside the house when it hit. she was still in the living room. the whole living room was obliterated. i don't know how she made it but she did, thank god. >> president obama having last night declared a state of emergency in oklahoma today said oklahoma will get everything it needs. >> the people of moore should know that their country will remain on the ground there for them beside them as long as it takes. >> today also produced as it would in the age of instant i eyewitness video more youtube videos of the storm. on a day when risk in the region remained elevated. due to widespread tornado damage and continuing severe weather across oklahoma, the

. >> interesting as well because craig fugate was not in this briefing with the president only becauseo oklahoma. so his deputy was here to help brief the president, the homeland security secretary janet napolitano is now on her way as well. she will be in oklahoma where you are tomorrow, shep. meanwhile, in terms of the president, we don't know yet when he will go. but white house officials are saying privately that likely go at some point but right now, publicly, they are saying he does not want to get in the way of all the first responders trying to, you know, bring everyone together, try in that recovery mission to deal with everyone on the ground. the last thing you want to do is bring the president's security detail in and distract from all of that, shep. we won't see him for at least a couple days. >> shepard: they couldn't take much more traffic congestion here for sure. ed henry at the white house. there have been many stories of families who rode out this tornado in their underground storm shelters. earlier today our casey stegall went out into one of those small spaces and g

you satisfied, sir, with the president and his response and the response of fema, fema director craig fugate extremely. extremely pleased. i talked to the president two days ago, and, you know, he ticked through the things that were available and certainly told me, tom, i know you're going to be on ground, it's your home. if there's any problem, please call me directly. we've had director fugate here this afternoon and early -- earlier today. i toured part of the area with secretary napolitano. we've gotten tremendous help from fema. over 400 people on the ground. we're pretty good at this. this is our fourth tornado, so we have excellent local and state leadership. our governor, mary fallin, has done well. so you really see local officials and volunteers and state and federal officials working together seamlessly. and, you know, in a very, very professional manner. so i'm very satisfied with the administration's response and very grateful to it. >> congressman tom cole, thank you, sir, so much. >> martin, thank you. >> thank you, sir. >>> next, we'll switch gears to actual progress on the t

i think president obama and you also heard fema administrator craig fugate calling on people really to send money right now. that is what people need. that's what that community needs, as they begin what will undoubtedly be a very long recovery process. you look at the pictures and the devastation there, and it's really just stunning to see entire city blocks completely wiped out. so as of this time, that's really what they're stressing, the need to just send money to help with the rebuilding efforts. we should also say that press secretary jay carney did insist today during the briefing that fema does have enough resources right now to help with that federal assistance that i was describing earlier. >> all right, we'll be keeping an eye on the white house. thank you. >> thank you. >> just last hour, oklahoma governor mary fallin and local officials spent an hour answering questions from reporters. authorities say rescue and recovery is their first priority, calling this the storm of storms. >> in the midst of tragedy and loss of life, we have also seen the resilience and the courage a

you call washington, you call craig fugate, head of fema.oes it work state to government, in these kind of catastrophes? >> yesterday, shortly after the tornado completed its devastation in moore, oklahoma, governor fallin called the regional director of fema with our emergency management director, albert ashwood. they went through a formal procedure of requesting federal assistance for the four counties that were affected from the tornadoes the day before and the tornado here in moore yesterday. that was the semantics of going through the process. that would allow us in oklahoma, in any state for that matter, that goes through the process to begin removing the regulation to hire contracts, contract workers, and remove the competitive bid process to seek relief on a quicker basis for emergencies such as this. >> i've gotten an education on what you do in these situations and how devastating it can be. up around the new york city area in breezy point, places like staten island and the rockaways where all the electricity is blown away. you hav

at the president's zrex, fema administrator craig fugate is traveling to oklahoma this morning. we'll hear from the president later at the end of this hour. governor fallin was on "morning joe" just a few minutes ago. >> this is a big job to coordinate something of this magnitude. this is a huge disaster area. it's horrific. it's a big tragedy and a sad day for oklahomans and we want to do everything that we can to get emergency personnel out there, to get food, water, shelter, and getting back to the president, he did call and we are very grateful for that. we appreciate them approving the fema direction quickly. he offered any type of resources we might need here in the state and we appreciate that. >> politico's lois romano covered that '99 storm, and don nibls, a former republican senator from oklahoma, who has a long experience with these kind of disasters. welcome to both of you. senator nichols, tell me about moore, oklahoma. >> well, it's a special place. it's a suburb of oklahoma city. unfortunately, it's had this challenge before. i was there in '99, after that storm,

the fema administrator, craig fugate is on his way to oklahoma as we speak. fema staff was first deployed to oklahoma's emergency operation center on sunday as the state already was facing down the first wave of deadly tornadoes. yesterday, fema activated urban search and rescue teams from texas, nebraska, and tennessee to assist in the ongoing search and rescue efforts. and a mobile response unit to boost communications and logistical support. so the people of moore should know that their country will remain on the ground, there for them, beside them as long as it takes. for there are homes and schools to rebuild. businesses and hospitals to reopen. there are parents to console, first responders to comfort, and of course, frightened children who will need our continued love and attention. there are empty spaces where there used to be living rooms and bedrooms and classrooms. and in time, we're going to need to refill those spaces with love and laughter and community. we don't yet know the full extent of the damage from this week's storm. we don't know both t

fema director craig fugate is already in oklahoma. homeland security secretary janet napolitano will also be traveling to the area, and the president spoke from the white house this morning. >> the people of moore should know that their country will remain on the ground, there for them, beside them as long as it takes. for there are homes and schools to rebuild, businesses and hospitals to reopen, there are parents to console, first responders to comfort, and of course, frightened children who will need our continued love and attention. >> coming up, we'll talk to a storm chaser who is on the road right now. he's tracking this latest storm where 10 million people are in the path. also in oklahoma yesterday, as that tornado touched down. we'll find out more of what he has discovered today in this latest storm in comparison to what we saw yesterday. and the oklahoma red cross tweeted out this picture today, saying their office is, quote, flooding over with spontaneous volunteers who are ready to help. we'll talk to the spokesperson of t

vo: living better: that's the real walmart. >>> joining us now, craig fugate, from fema. help out. how does this compare, mr. fugate, to other destruction you've seen in recent years? >> well, unfortunately, tornado damage is pretty intense. joplin, tuscaloosa, again here in oklahoma, similar. very devastating. houses taken down to the slabs. schools destroyed, hospital destroyed. cars just -- no way you would think people could survive this. >> so what are you doing now? what is fema, the federal government doing to help? >> well, first thing we did is we sent additional urban rescue teams to support the state. they had a lot of area to cover. the other thing is, the president last night did declare these areas disaster areas. so we can start registering people for assistance, and getting them some financial assistance if they didn't have insurance, getting them a place to stay. that process started last night. and we're encouraging people to register, call 1-800-fema to register to start that assistance. 1-800-600-fema. >> a lot of us have been really shaken by what we s

the fema administrator craig fugate is on his way to oklahoma as we speak.a staff was first deployed to oklahoma's emergency operation center on sunday as the state already was facing down the first wave of deadly tornadoes. yesterday fema activated urban search and rescue teams from texas, nebraska, and tennessee to assist in the ongoing search and rescue efforts, and a mobile response unit to boost communications and logistical support. so the people of moore should know their country will remain on the ground, there for them, beside them as long as it takes for there are homes and schools to rebuild, businesses and hospitals to reopen. there are parents to console, first responders to comfort. and of course frightened children who will need our continued love and attention. there are empty spaces where there used to be living rooms and bedrooms and classrooms. and in time we're going to need to refill those spaces with love and laughter and community. we don't yet know the full extent of the damage from this week's storm. we don't know both the human and

at my direction, craig fugate a writer on tuesday. fema was on the ground before monday's tornado hit. their teams have completed searches and more than 1200 buildings. we have helped register 4200 people for disaster assistance. we have a approved 3.4 million dollars in direct aid. there is a lot more to come. it is not just the government response. we have seen incredible outpouring of support from community groups who are helping folks begin to recover. to this area has known more than its share of heart rate. -- heartbreak. people here pride themselves on the oklahoma standard, being able to work through disasters like this to come out stronger on the other side. that is what we have been seeing this week. from the forecasters to issue the warnings to the first responders, to the teachers who shielded with their own bodies their students, they have inspired us with their love and courage and fellowship. neighbors have been offering up spare bedrooms and couches. universities have opened up heir bedrooms. this is a strong community

at my direction, craig fugate arrived here on tuesday. fema was on the ground even before monday's tornado hit, and their teams have now completed searches of more than 1200 buildings. we've helped to register more than 4200 people for disaster assistance and we've approved more than $3.4 million in direct aid. obviously there is a lot more to come. but it's not just a government response. we've seen incredible outpourings of support from churches, from community groups who are helping folks begin to recover. this area has known more than its share of heartbreak, but people here pride themselves on the oklahoma standard. you know, what governor fallin has called being able to work through disasters like this and coming out stronger on the other side, and that's what we've been seeing this week. from the forecasters who issued the warnings to the first responders who dug through the rubble, to the teachers who shielded with their own bodies their students, oklahomans have inspired us with their love and their courage and their fellowship.

i'll pleased that fema administrator craig fugate is already in oklahoma, deciding how the federal government can best assist. i'll continue to monitor the search-and-rescue efforts. whenever tragedy strikes, any part of our nation, it really strikes us all. so i pledge to the people of oklahoma, my continued support, our continued support as they begin to recover from this awful storm. madam president, following leader remarks today, the senate will be in a period of morning business for an hour. the majority will control the first half, the republicans the final half. following that moshings the senate will resume -- following that morning business, the senate will resume consideration of s. 954, the farm bill. i spoke to chairman stabenow last night. she indicated that she believes there's opportunity to finish the bill even this week. i certainly hope that's the case. the senate will recess from 12:30 to 2:15 to allow for our weekly caucus meetings. mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: we're all thinking today about the tragic loss of

craig fugate is here and we are proud of the work he and his fema team have done.dent of schools. thank you for your leadership. amy simpson i want to commend, the plaza towers elementary school principal and the briarwood elementary school principal. they were on the ground when this happened and because of their quick response and their keeping a level head and their putting kids first saved a lot of people. and they are still going through some tough times. i can only imagine being their husbands who were here, the panic i'm sure they were feeling when the tornado first struck. but i know that they could not be he prouder of their wives for the