Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - May 17, 2007)

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By Mrs. CLINTON (for herself, Mrs. Boxer, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Leahy, Ms. Landrieu, and Mr. Akaka):

S. 1427. A bill to establish the Federal Emergency Management Agency as an independent agency, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to remove the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, from the Department of Homeland Security and restore it as an independent, cabinet-level agency.

In the days after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Americans witnessed incompetence on the part of FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Administration in responding to a catastrophe of this magnitude. Countless Americans who were left behind were failed by their government when they needed help the most.

Sadly, the tragedy continues for the more than 80,000 people still living in trailers and for the cities and towns still struggling to rebuild. In the years since the catastrophes of Katrina and Rita, FEMA's failures have continued.

The Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security found that FEMA awarded $3.6 billion in contracts to maintain trailers for hurricane victims to companies with no ties to the Gulf Coast region and bad paperwork.

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, FEMA wasted $1 billion in improper payments to individuals. FEMA spent $900 million on trailers that could not be used in flood zones. And FEMA paid $1.8 billion for hotel rooms and cruise ship cabins that were more expensive than apartments.

It was reported recently that more than $40 million worth of stockpiled food for the 2006 hurricane season spoiled due to FEMA's lack of preparation.

FEMA also disclosed in recent days that it will not have a new national response plan ready in time for the start of this year's hurricane season.

It is past time to restore competence and accountability, and to reestablish FEMA as an independent agency outside the Department of Homeland Security.

In the Clinton administration, the head of FEMA reported directly to the President of the United States and that direct communication meant the buck stopped with the President, instead of being lost in the bureaucracy.

The Government Accountability Office says that managing the transformation of an agency of the size and complexity of the Department of Homeland Security will likely span a number of years. Unfortunately with regard to preparing and recovering from a disaster, we cannot wait years for the Department of Homeland Security to live up to its intended mission. When the next disaster or catastrophe happens, we cannot afford to say that we'll be ready next time.

Under my legislation, the Director of FEMA reports directly to the President
and would have full authority to coordinate with all agencies and to take the necessary action to ensure resources and recovery personnel are deployed quickly in an emergency to impacted areas.

When we created the Department of Homeland Security, in the Homeland Security Act of 2002, I said then that I was deeply concerned about moving FEMA under the Department of Homeland Security because when it operated as an independent agency, especially on September 11 and in the response thereafter, it was highly-functioning, and well-run.

I remarked then that moving FEMA under the Department of Homeland Security must not force a highly-functioning and competent agency into a bureaucracy that will challenge integration and diminish FEMA's effectiveness in responding to crises of all kinds. Unfortunately, that seems to be exactly what has happened and that is exactly what we must fix.

The bureaucracy created by moving FEMA under the Department of Homeland Security is clearly not working and we must ensure that FEMA has the ability and the authority to respond to a disaster or catastrophe. I thank all of my colleagues who have cosponsored this legislation and I hope that every Senator in this chamber will cosponsor this legislation.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

S. 1427

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