Insurance companies have stopped writing new policies on the Gulf Coast, and those who do have insurance are paying premiums that have skyrocketed since Katrina.

Earlier Monday in New Orleans, Pelosi said Katrina and its aftermath were a "challenge to the conscience of the country in a huge way." She said Congress had responded but was "determined to get the job done."

The delegation also toured two residential FEMA trailers in Pass Christian.

Kathy James, 47, told the lawmakers the walls of her trailer have yellow stains she believes were caused by formaldehyde. She said she had suffered from sinus problems and burning eyes.

The group also planned to go to Bay St. Louis, Miss., for a town hall-style meeting on insurance. Tuesday was to be spent in New Orleans, parts of which remains in shambles.

Rep. Charles Melancon, D-La., told The Associated Press the devastation in New Orleans was "a making of our own government" — a reference to the catastrophic levee failures in Katrina's wake.

When asked if his colleagues understood that, he said: "Some do, and some don't want to."

House leaders did not commit to help fill in a projected $5 billion shortfall in Louisiana's Road Home program — the state has already pledged at least $1 billion. But Clyburn said Congress would revisit the issue now that a July 31 deadline for homeowner applications had passed. He did not indicate when that might happen.