[StBernard] [LANDRIEU] Landrieu to Chair Senate Disaster Recovery Panel

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Wed Jan 24 23:55:31 EST 2007


Landrieu to Chair Senate

Disaster Recovery Panel
Homeland Security Committee field hearing on Katrina and Rita

recovery progress planned for Monday in New Orleans.



WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., will chair a new Disaster
Recovery Subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs Committee, the committee's chairman, U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman,
ID-Conn., announced today. The new subcommittee's core role will be
oversight for the recovery provisions of the Robert T. Stafford Act and
other elements of the National Response Plan, including the disaster
response functions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"I have established two new subcommittees on the Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee to more adequately reflect the expanded
responsibilities of the Committee," Sen. Lieberman said. "I am pleased to
announce that one will be the Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery, chaired by
Senator Landrieu, whose unyielding concern for the people of her state and
region, coupled with her unrelenting work to keep the public focused on the
challenges and obstacles within the recovery area, deserves this
distinction. I know she will use her new position to critically examine
issues related to the government's work to help communities recover from
disasters in general and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in particular and I
look forward to working with her."

"The federal response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the devastating
levee breaks that followed demonstrated that our nation's disaster response
and recovery strategy is critically flawed, particularly when stretched to
its limits by widespread catastrophe," Sen. Landrieu said. "As Chair of the
Disaster Recovery Subcommittee, I will take a hard look at the mistakes made
and the lessons learned and will work to implement substantive changes and
reforms to make sure our response to the next major disaster is speedy,
effective and comprehensive."

The Disaster Recovery Subcommittee will oversee the coordination of the
long-term recovery plans and activities provided by all federal agencies,
nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and state and local
governments, as well as the coordination of disaster-related data-sharing
between the agencies. It will also oversee the development and execution of
the national disaster recovery and housing strategies. U.S. Senator Ted
Stevens, R-Alaska, is expected to be named Ranking Member of the
subcommittee.

"There are tremendous ongoing challenges to our recovery in Louisiana and
along the Gulf Coast, and I will use my oversight authority to ensure that
FEMA and other federal agencies are supporting our efforts as effectively as
possible and are held accountable to the people they exist to serve," Sen.
Landrieu said.

"The Chairman of the full committee, Senator Lieberman, has assured me that
the subcommittee will have the full authority to do whatever it takes to get
all the facts relevant to hurricanes Katrina and Rita and all other matters
within our panel's jurisdiction. Rest assured, I will use this authority
responsibly as we seek answers and work to craft solutions."

On Monday, January 29, Sens. Lieberman and Landrieu will be joined by
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee member Sen. Barack
Obama, D-Ill., for a field hearing at the Supreme Court in New Orleans.

Federal government officials appearing before the panel as witnesses will
include Steven Preston, the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration (SBA), Donald Powell, the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast
Recovery, Gil Jamieson, FEMA's Deputy Director for Gulf Coast Recovery, and
representatives of the Government Accountability Office and Department of
Housing and Urban Development.

Louisiana officials will include New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin and Walter
J. Leger, Jr., Director of Housing for the Louisiana Recovery Authority.
Sen. David Vitter, R-La., is also scheduled to participate.

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