AP/Breitbart:

“The tragedy of Katrina shows in the starkest terms why every American needs an effective national government that will step in to meet urgent needs that individual states and communities cannot meet on their own,” Sen. Edward M. Kennedy said in a statement prepared for the opening of hearings.
The Massachusetts Democrat called Roberts an “intelligent, well- educated and serious man” but said the Senate “must also determine whether he has demonstrated a commitment to the constitutional principles that have been so vital in advancing fairness, decency and equal opportunity in our society.”