June 20, 2006   LIEBERMAN WELCOMES REVERSAL OF FEMA TRAILER EVICTIONS   Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., Tuesday expressed satisfaction that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has decided to suspend its planned evictions of 3,000 Katrina victims living in FEMA trailers in Mississippi. FEMA officials informed Lieberman that the agency has stopped sending out eviction notices and is in the process of withdrawing approximately 400 eviction notices already sent out. “After its failed preparations for and response to Hurricane Katrina, FEMA has stumbled through a slow and mismanaged recovery process as well,” Lieberman said. “The people of the Gulf Coast are in extreme need. The idea that they would be kicked out of the temporary trailers that were provided to them is inconceivable to me. The point is to work to get people resettled into permanent housing not to render them homeless again.” Lieberman has asked FEMA to follow up with families that may have moved out of their trailers when they received an eviction notice and to allow families to remain in the trailers until their eligibility-- or lack thereof -- has been established. He also called on FEMA to post on its website its new policy regarding trailer evictions and to inform families why they are not eligible and how they might become so. It is unclear if and when FEMA will resume efforts to evict people from the trailers. Lieberman wrote to Homeland Security Department Secretary Michael Chertoff earlier in the year to ask him to improve housing assistance for Katrina victims. He also told FEMA Director David Paulison at his nomination hearing that inadequate planning, poor coordination, inflexible guidelines, and ineffective communications on FEMA’s part have hampered recovery efforts. “The President promised to do everything necessary to help get the communities and families of the Gulf Coast back on their feet,” Lieberman said. “Sending out eviction notices is antithetical to that promise. FEMA must move the Katrina recovery forward in a fair manner.” -30-   ###   Printable Version   « previous Press Release next Press Release »   1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 June 2006 Press Releases   June 30 - Collins, Lieberman Seek to Address Government Fraud   June 29 - Dodd, Lieberman Help Secure Additional $4 Million for Coast Guard Research and Development Lab   June 29 - Lieberman Says DHS Infrastructure Protection Plan Not Enough   June 28 - Lieberman Speaks on Introduction of Bill to Reinvent FEMA   June 27 - Collins, Lieberman Seek Greater Funding To Protect Transit, Rail and Ports   June 27 - Lieberman Says Appeals Court Decision Reaffirms Opposition To DHS Personnel Changes   June 23 - Lieberman Demands Greater Information Security For DHS Trusted Traveler Programs   June 20 current Press Release   June 20 - Democrats Seek Oversight of Iraqi Reconstruction Contracts   June 19 - Lieberman Says Federal Efforts to Ensure Diversity Must Improve   June 16 - Lieberman Says NRP Conclusion is Not Surprising   June 16 - Senators Collins, Lieberman, Coleman and Murray Call on Chertoff to Issue Transporation and Port Security Grant Guidance   June 15 - Senate Homeland SEcurity Committee Unanimously Passes Collins-Lieberman Chemical Security Legislation   June 15 - Lieberman Heralds Advancement Of Chemical Security Bill   June 14 - Lieberman Leads Defeat of Industry's Preemption Amendment to the Chemical Security Bill   June 14 - Lieberman Says Disaster Aid Abuse Underscores Need For A Reinvented FEMA   June 14 - Lieberman Calls for Investigation of the Appearance of Widespread Censorship by the Administration on Climate Change Research   June 9 - Some Katrina Victims Get a Break on Unemployment Benefits   June 9 - NASA Admits Wrongdoing in Not Allowing Top Scientist to Discuss Climate Change Research   June 8 - Senate Homeland Security Committee Holds Hearing on Where FEMA Belongs   June 8 - Lieberman Calls for Reinvention, Strengthening of FEMA   June 6 - Lieberman Assails GOP for Refusing to Extend Unemployment Benefits for 2005 Hurricane Victims
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