Shuster Looks at Why FEMA Failed, Finds Competing Missions Caused FEMA's Neglect
Shuster Looks At Why FEMA Failed, Finds Competing Missions Caused FEMA'S Neglect
Legislation Calls for FEMA to Revert Back to Stand Alone Agency
Washington, DC - Congressman Bill Shuster, chairman of the Emergency Management Subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives, released the following statement after recent reports on the Senate's investigation titled A Nation Still Unprepared:
"It is very important to have thorough reviews and investigations of the preparation for and response to Hurricane Katrina. This was a disaster of unprecedented size and destruction. The House Select Katrina Committee has reported its findings, and now the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee is finishing up its work."
"We need to address why things went wrong as well as what went wrong. FEMA was neglected and deteriorated so quickly because its disaster mission cannot compete with DHS's terrorism prevention mission. Putting FEMA back together, strengthening it and changing its name under the same roof will not address the root cause of DHS's failure. I don't believe recreating a broken wheel within DHS moves us closer to realizing the lessons learned of Katrina."
"I am working on legislation that would call for the removal of FEMA from the Department of Homeland Security. After meeting with top-level state emergency management professionals, officials on the ground along the Gulf Coast and experienced federal disaster planners, it is becoming clear that a direct line of communication between the director of FEMA and the president is an essential component to a fluid planning and response system. Reverting FEMA back to a stand alone agency is a step toward that goal."
"The legislation encompasses other aspects of our nation's emergency management system, and I'm continuing to work with my colleagues in the House as well as the Senate to make sure the needs of Americans can be met during a crisis."
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/pa09_shuster/whyfemafailed.html