Feds and FEMA Staff Mixed About Agency’s Future

GovExec.com writes that another report condemning the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s action during and after Hurricane Katrina has its employees wanting to push forward for the next hurricane season—independently.

Meanwhile, a story from Congress Daily on GovExec.com reports that the House Homeland Security Committee is going to move aggressively to overhaul FEMA, especially before proponents to replace or make the agency independent come forward.

In addition to some members of Congress advocating FEMA’s independence, Congress Daily states that other senators from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee are looking to replace FEMA with a new National Preparedness and Response Authority that would still come under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

However, FEMA employees, their union and a former director want to see the agency become independent of the DHS so that FEMA can get immediate attention from the White House in a crisis, GovExec.com reports.

“I like the fact the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee realized that there is a problem,” Leo Bosner, president of the American Federation of Government Employees’ Local 40610, said. “But keeping it in the DHS is a dumb move.”

Since the Senate report came out, GovExec.com stated that the House Homeland Security Committee assembled legislation that would preserve the bureau within DHS, but put an official from FEMA to report directly to the president during a crisis.