NEW ORLEANS -- Lawyers for the Federal Emergency Management Agency discouraged officials from investigating reports of dangerous levels of formaldehyde in trailers the agency provided to storm victims.

Related Link: FAQs On Formaldehyde

That's evident from documents that were subpoenaed by House members.

At a Capitol Hill hearing Thursday, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers blasted FEMA administrator David Paulson. Committee Chairman Henry Waxman called the actions "sickening" and said reading the documents left him "infuriated."

Paulson said the agency could have moved faster and now recognizes there are problems. But he said it's unclear whether the formaldehyde or something else is causing those problems.

Formaldehyde is sometimes found in building materials, including the particleboard used in the FEMA trailers. It can cause respiratory problems and, in high doses, cancer.

The panel heard testimony Thursday from several people who said the fumes were making them sick.

"The first night, my wife had a runny nose and then realized it was a bloody nose. I was having symptoms -- scratchy throat and runny nose," Paul Stewart said.

Lindsey Huckabey testified that her 4-year-old daughter still suffers from the symptoms.

"She's had pneumonia, ear infection, breathing treatments, steroids and has been hospitalized three times to date," Huckabey said.

FEMA has said that proper ventilation can reduce the fumes. But Wednesday, the agency asked federal health officials to see if contamination levels might be toxic.