Rep. Tom Allen Calls for Independent Investigation of Hurricane Katrina Disaster
Political Desk
September 09, 2005
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Tom Allen today called for the establishment of a bipartisan panel of outside experts, modeled after the successful 9/11 Commission, to investigate the precautions and preparations leading up to Hurricane Katrina and the problems that plagued the emergency response afterwards. He also announced that he is cosponsoring legislation to separate the Federal Emergency Management Agency from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and reestablish it as an independent agency, focused on its pre-2003 role of disaster preparedness and response. Representative Allen took these steps as the House voted yesterday to approve a second emergency supplemental appropriation to fund Hurricane Katrina relief and reconstruction aid, this time for $51.8 billion in addition to the $10.5 billion approved last week.
"Hundreds of my constituents have contacted me over the past week demanding to know why the response to Hurricane Katrina's devastation was so slow and inadequate," Representative Allen said. "They don't want finger-pointing, but they also don't want buck passing. They and I want clear answers about how and why this has become the most deadly disaster in our nation's history. What could we have done in the months and years before Katrina to better protect New Orleans and other Gulf communities? Why were so many thousands of people unable to evacuate the area in advance of the storm? Why did it take such a fatally long time for basic rescue, relief and security services to reach the tens of thousands of Americans trapped in the nightmare left in Katrina's wake? What steps must we take to prevent a similar catastrophe in the future? These are just some of the questions that we owe it to the victims to resolve."
"The universally praised independent, bipartisan commission established in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks provides an ideal model for how such an investigation should be undertaken," Representative Allen added. "That panel was created after the families of 9/11 victims concluded that the Republican-led Congress could not adequately investigate the Bush Administration. Since the political reality has not changed, we owe it to the victims of Katrina to again create an independent Commission free of political bias."
In addition to separating FEMA from DHS, the legislation Representative Allen supports re-establishes that the Director of FEMA reports directly to the President without intervening bureaucracy; requires the FEMA Director to have extensive experience in emergency and disaster-related management; establishes a five-year term for the director to reduce the likelihood of the position being used as political patronage; establishes a Deputy Director with primary responsibility for disasters; and transfers all of the emergency preparedness functions of the Department of Homeland Security to FEMA, including emergency response to both natural and man-made disasters.
"Five years ago, FEMA was widely recognized as one of the most efficient and effective agencies in government," Representative Allen said. "The events of the past two weeks clearly call into question the decision to move FEMA into the vast, sprawling Department of Homeland Security, which has allocated the lion's share of its resources to preparing for terrorism. Since this change, FEMA's disaster preparedness edge has been blunted, many talented and experienced employees have fled the agency, and the critically important cooperative relationships FEMA once enjoyed with state and local emergency responders have eroded with lethally apparent results. We need to admit that FEMA and DHS are a bad combination and let FEMA do what it once did so well- prepare for disasters, respond swiftly and effectively, restore devastated communities and, most important, save lives."
Yesterday, Representative Allen referred to the hurricane response in remarks at a House Energy and Commerce hearing on Medicaid. Given the fact that so many of the victims of Katrina are of low and moderate incomes, Representative Allen called on leaders to abandon the so-called 'reconciliation' package of cuts to Medicaid and $70 billion in tax cuts, which he equated to "robbing from the poor to give to the rich."
"I find hard to believe we are having this hearing today to consider $10 billion in cuts to Medicaid," Representative Allen told the Committee. "Survivors of Hurricane Katrina are now scattered across the country and in need of significantly more Medicaid resources than they did before."
Instead of cutting Medicaid, Representative Allen supports action to increase access to Medicaid for displaced victims, including streamlining of paperwork requirements, waiving of asset and residency requirements and co-payments. These steps will help victims, many of whom have no legal documents in their possession, to enroll in the program with little red tape. A similar successful initiative was launched after the September 11 disaster.
"Hundreds of my constituents have contacted me over the past week demanding to know why the response to Hurricane Katrina's devastation was so slow and inadequate," Representative Allen said. "They don't want finger-pointing, but they also don't want buck passing. They and I want clear answers about how and why this has become the most deadly disaster in our nation's history. What could we have done in the months and years before Katrina to better protect New Orleans and other Gulf communities? Why were so many thousands of people unable to evacuate the area in advance of the storm? Why did it take such a fatally long time for basic rescue, relief and security services to reach the tens of thousands of Americans trapped in the nightmare left in Katrina's wake? What steps must we take to prevent a similar catastrophe in the future? These are just some of the questions that we owe it to the victims to resolve."
"The universally praised independent, bipartisan commission established in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks provides an ideal model for how such an investigation should be undertaken," Representative Allen added. "That panel was created after the families of 9/11 victims concluded that the Republican-led Congress could not adequately investigate the Bush Administration. Since the political reality has not changed, we owe it to the victims of Katrina to again create an independent Commission free of political bias."
In addition to separating FEMA from DHS, the legislation Representative Allen supports re-establishes that the Director of FEMA reports directly to the President without intervening bureaucracy; requires the FEMA Director to have extensive experience in emergency and disaster-related management; establishes a five-year term for the director to reduce the likelihood of the position being used as political patronage; establishes a Deputy Director with primary responsibility for disasters; and transfers all of the emergency preparedness functions of the Department of Homeland Security to FEMA, including emergency response to both natural and man-made disasters.
"Five years ago, FEMA was widely recognized as one of the most efficient and effective agencies in government," Representative Allen said. "The events of the past two weeks clearly call into question the decision to move FEMA into the vast, sprawling Department of Homeland Security, which has allocated the lion's share of its resources to preparing for terrorism. Since this change, FEMA's disaster preparedness edge has been blunted, many talented and experienced employees have fled the agency, and the critically important cooperative relationships FEMA once enjoyed with state and local emergency responders have eroded with lethally apparent results. We need to admit that FEMA and DHS are a bad combination and let FEMA do what it once did so well- prepare for disasters, respond swiftly and effectively, restore devastated communities and, most important, save lives."
Yesterday, Representative Allen referred to the hurricane response in remarks at a House Energy and Commerce hearing on Medicaid. Given the fact that so many of the victims of Katrina are of low and moderate incomes, Representative Allen called on leaders to abandon the so-called 'reconciliation' package of cuts to Medicaid and $70 billion in tax cuts, which he equated to "robbing from the poor to give to the rich."
"I find hard to believe we are having this hearing today to consider $10 billion in cuts to Medicaid," Representative Allen told the Committee. "Survivors of Hurricane Katrina are now scattered across the country and in need of significantly more Medicaid resources than they did before."
Instead of cutting Medicaid, Representative Allen supports action to increase access to Medicaid for displaced victims, including streamlining of paperwork requirements, waiving of asset and residency requirements and co-payments. These steps will help victims, many of whom have no legal documents in their possession, to enroll in the program with little red tape. A similar successful initiative was launched after the September 11 disaster.
Print
Email
