A controversial congressman from Iowa is accusing Katrina survivors in New Orleans of being helpless and only looking to the government for help.
It came in a speech by Steve King as he praised Iowans hit by recent flooding for taking care of each other.
Louisiana officials fired back, including Governor John Bel Edwards, who called King's remarks "disgusting and disheartening."
Congressman Steve Scalise said he is deeply offended. So did Congressman Garrett Graves, who appeared on WWL First News this morning.
''I think it's incredibly insensitive,'' said Graves. ''A disaster to an individual is absolutely devastating and it's a bad idea to come in and try to talk about people in south Louisiana.''
Graves says you really can't compare disaster victims.
He said he will confront Congressman King face-to-face and remind him that Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana, leaving 1,800 dead with tens of thousands more homeless and impoverished.
King, a Republican, claims an unnamed FEMA official told him that Katrina victims only looked for government help, as opposed to Iowans who he said "take care of each other."
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said, "The people of New Orleans know who we are. We know what we did for each other in the weeks after the storm, and on every day after. I don’t know where Rep. King was when I was standing shoulder to shoulder with my neighbors fighting to bring our community back— but I know who was there helping, and we all know who wasn’t."
Cantrell continued: "My heart and New Orleans’ love goes out to our fellow Americans struggling with floods across the Midwest. We know what you’re going through, and we know you need and deserve a better quality of person representing you in your time of need. New Orleans is here for you, like we were here for each other. We know King doesn’t speak for you, and he doesn’t speak the truth."
In recent weeks, King has been rebuked by his own party for comments defending white nationalism.