[StBernard] Landrieu Clears Way for FEMA Official's Confirmation

[Westley Annis]

Landrieu Clears Way for
FEMA Official's Confirmation
Cites Admiral Johnson's efforts to step up engagement with local officials,
promises to reduce red tape.

 

WASHINGTON - United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today dropped
her official objection to the confirmation of Vice Admiral Harvey E.
Johnson, Jr., to be the Deputy Administrator of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA). With her support, the Senate Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously referred the Admiral's nomination
to the full Senate for its consideration. Sen. Landrieu chairs the
committee's Disaster Recovery Subcommittee.

"By its own reports, FEMA continues to fall short in meeting the ongoing
recovery needs of the Gulf Coast and has a long way yet to go to before it
is fully prepared for another major catastrophe," said Sen. Landrieu.  "The
agency needs leaders committed to reforming from within, and removing the
bottlenecks that slow our recovery and impede preparation for the next
disaster. Admiral Johnson has taken steps, I believe in good faith, to
demonstrate that commitment. 

"But there remain a great number of challenges stemming from Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita and the devastating failure of the federal levees. FEMA has
too often shown little urgency to overcoming these obstacles, as evidenced
by its foot-dragging on streamlining the project approval process and on
delivering reports and plans mandated by Congress. Admiral Johnson has
acknowledged these and other concerns, and I intend to hold him to his
promise to help address them."

Earlier this year, Sen. Landrieu said that as a condition of her support,
Adm. Johnson would have to travel to Louisiana, visit hurricane-affected
areas, and meet with state and local officials managing the recovery. He
responded by making several trips to the region, and parish and state
officials spoke positively to Sen. Landrieu of the meetings and stepped up
FEMA engagement they appeared to represent.

The Senator also required that FEMA take steps to:

1)      Establish an independent appeals process for rebuilding projects;

2)      Dramatically reduce the backlog of projects awaiting funding or
other FEMA action;

3)      Authorize the aggregation of similar rebuilding projects to smartly
reduce waste, administrative burdens and other bureaucratic roadblocks; 

4)      Extend the deadline for demolition debris removal reimbursement, set
to expire February 29, 2008; and

5)      Extend the deadline for marine debris removal reimbursement.

FEMA responded to Sen. Landrieu's February 12 letter by moving the public
assistance appeals process to another FEMA region, so officials hearing
appeals are not in the same office that originally denied approval. Sen.
Landrieu said today that she will closely monitor the new process to
determine whether it provides sufficient impartiality, or whether an even
more independent approach will be needed.

Adm. Johnson also reached out to Louisiana Recovery Authority Executive
Director Paul Rainwater, formerly a senior Landrieu aide, to develop
processes to expedite backlogged project approvals and appeals. 

Following the passage of legislation by Sen. Landrieu that allowed for the
aggregation of rebuilding projects for Louisiana school systems, the agency
has begun investigating administrative ways to extend that flexibility to
police and fire departments. In a 13-to-3 vote, the Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee today also passed a bill by Senator Landrieu
that would implement this reform legislatively.

The two debris removal reimbursement deadlines were extended by six months,
to August 29, 2008 - the third anniversary of Katrina - after a meeting
between Adm. Johnson and Sen. Landrieu on February 28. 

"These are all steps in the right direction," Sen. Landrieu said. "I believe
both Admiral Johnson and Director Paulison are well-meaning men who want to
help - but the question remains whether higher-ups at the Department of
Homeland Security and the White House will step up with the flexibility,
commitment and resources FEMA needs to improve. 

"I intend to keep pressing this agency and Administration to be more
aggressive in cutting through red tape and better preparing for the future.
I have no plans to let up until FEMA is as ready and willing as we need them
to be."