The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has called for dissolving FEMA and replacing it with a new, National Preparedness and Response Authority, but it gets set to present the findings of its eight month investigation into the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina, the White House and Department of Homeland Security appear to be boarding up for the storm.
In leading up to the hearing, ranking member Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., said in a statement that the committee faced a White House less willing to cooperate in an investigation than any other in his 18 years as a senator.
The White House and DHS quickly rejected the proposal to dissolve FEMA — which Lieberman, called “disreputable” and “beyond repair” — and said they are making adjustments to FEMA and the nation’s response structure and will be ready for the hurricane season, widely predicted to bad if not the same or worse as 2005.
Collins said in response to the White House’s objections to flipping FEMA, that while she understands that the “wholly bi-partisan” report’s recommendations “will not be enacted in the next five weeks . . . we can not stay with the same deeply flawed system that has proven that it simply does not work.”
The report faults political management at FEMA — indeed it faults everyone in a position of authority from the President to officials at all levels of federal, state and local government, except for Coast Guard officials — for failing to prepare and respond to the storm, either on time or competently.
The proposed NPRA would remain within DHS, and its director would have the rank of deputy secretary and have a direct line of communication to the President during emergencies.
Recent legislation put forward by the House Homeland Security Committee would give the FEMA director a direct line to the President as well.
