[StBernard] Sen. Landrieu Comments on Meeting with DHS Nominee; Gov. Janet Napolitano Commits to La. Visit Before Hurricane Season

Westley Annis Westley at da-parish.com
Tue Jan 6 23:53:57 EST 2009


Sen. Landrieu Comments on Meeting with DHS Nominee;

Gov. Janet Napolitano Commits to La. Visit Before Hurricane Season



WASHINGTON - United States Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., today met with
Governor Janet Napolitano, D-Ariz., the Homeland Security Secretary nominee,
to discuss a variety of issues facing the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) - including those of critical significance to Louisiana and the Gulf
Coast. Sen. Landrieu and Gov. Napolitano had a phone conversation in
December, during which they discussed the need for Stafford Act reform and
the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) lack of a comprehensive
disaster housing plan.

"I was very happy to sit down with Governor Napolitano and talk with her
about some of my priorities and Louisiana's priorities for fixing and
strengthening FEMA," said Sen. Landrieu, who chairs the Senate Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs Disaster Recovery Subcommittee,. "Keeping
FEMA at its status quo is wholly unacceptable. An agency that is so buried
in bureaucracy will never be able to help a survivor of any disaster. FEMA
must be agile, quick and empowered.

"One of the highlights of our meeting was that Governor Napolitano committed
to come down and visit Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. She wants to get on the
ground and talk to the people about why the recovery is taking so long and
what she can do as the new Homeland Security Secretary. She told me that she
wants to come before hurricane season, and I believe that people in our
state would be very happy to see that. I am working now to start on that
schedule, hopefully for sometime between February and April.

"We must get the job done right for Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. It is
great news that Gov. Napolitano seemed completely committed to achieving
that."

A photograph of Sen. Landrieu and Gov. Napolitano are available for
publication:

. Sen. Landrieu greets Gov. Janet Napolitano, D-Ariz., at her
Washington, D.C. office:
http://landrieu.senate.gov/media/09.01.05_Greeting_Gov_Napolitano.JPG

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