Katrina highlighted that nature was not to be disregarded as an event causing policy change (Tierney 2008), and as a focal event, the Katrina tragedy and ensuing policy debacle did greatly boost public attention on the nation's disaster housing challenges. It also demonstrated that existing law could not protect against such a catastrophe. Disaster housing has been used as a political tool in the United States for many years. President Theodore Roosevelt made use of this tactic following the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. He demanded that Congress pass new legislation to help rebuild destroyed neighborhoods, saying that "a government that will not take care of its citizens in their time of need cannot stand." Congress responded by passing the National Housing Act of 1934, which led to the creation of many different federal agencies with authority over housing policy. This act is still in effect today. Since then, politicians have continued to use disasters to push for changes to housing policy. One example was after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, Congress passed legislation giving federal money to states for rebuilding efforts. The author of this bill said it would allow for better planning of relief efforts following future disasters. In 2001, President George W. Bush made use of this technique after the devastation caused by New York City and other parts of the Northeast during the same hurricane season.