Bush vows to speed up aid, storm survivors complain

NEW ORLEANS, Friday (Reuters) - President George W. Bush promised to speed up relief to hundreds of thousands displaced by Hurricane Katrina, as some frustrated survivors complained there was still confusion over government aid and the official death toll rose.

Bush, whose administration has been on the defensive over its lagging response, vowed to “cut through the red tape” and get federal aid as fast as possible to survivors of the Aug. 29 storm.

With his approval ratings at a new low, Bush pledged to be there for “the long haul.”

The official death toll surpassed 300 in the two hardest hit states when Louisiana officials said they had confirmed 118 deaths, on top of 201 in neighboring Mississippi. Thousands more may still be missing.

The U.S. Congress overwhelmingly approved $51.8 billion in new hurricane relief and Bush signed the measure into law. The government has used up $10.5 billion passed by Congress shortly after the storm hit.

Addressing the nation, Bush said special relief payments and government programs would be made as easy as possible. But refugees among the thousands housed at the Astrodome in Houston complained that the federal response was still hamstrung by bureaucracy that meant hours of waiting for no real help.

In New Orleans, once home to 450,000 people, there were hints of rebellion as rescue teams hunted for perhaps 10,000 people who cannot or will not leave, despite an evacuation order and floodwaters poisoned by bacteria, gasoline, oil, chemicals and submerged bodies.

New Orleans Police Chief Eddie Compass told reporters no one would be evicted until all rescues are completed, and even then only minimal force would be used.

“I cannot use my resources to force people out when I have people who want to voluntarily leave,” he said. “We’re going to make this city safe and strong again. We have to get people out before we can start the rebuilding process.”

CNN reported that shrimp fishermen had found 14 bodies inside an abandoned hospital in the eastern side of the city and 30 corpses were found inside a nursing home.