(OVERLAND PARK, KAN.) – In the wake of the federal government’s inept response to Hurricane Katrina, Congressman Dennis Moore (Third District-KS) is working to improve federal preparedness for natural disasters. The Congressman cosponsored legislation which would make the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) into a fully independent agency headed by a Cabinet-level executive reporting directly to the President.

“The destruction I witnessed when I visited the disaster area in Louisiana earlier this week and the tremendous needs of our victims convinced me of the need for the federal government to change how it deals with natural disasters,” Moore said. “FEMA’s ability to provide aid in a time of crisis clearly has been hampered since it was put under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security.”

The Homeland Security Act, which became law after the September 11th tragedy, transferred FEMA to the newly-created DHS. The new legislation Moore cosponsored, H.R. 3656, would remove FEMA from DHS and create two Deputy Directors: one responsible for natural disasters and the other responsible for terrorism related. The Deputy Director in charge of terrorism related disaster management would be required to consult and coordinate with DHS.

The bill would correct problems outlined by James Lee Witt, FEMA director from 1993 to 2001, during testimony to Congress in March 2004 when he warned the agency was not prepared for a catastrophic event:

“I am concerned that the ability of our nation to prepare for and respond to disasters has been sharply eroded. I hear from emergency managers, local and state leaders, and first responders nearly every day that the FEMA they knew and worked well with has now disappeared. In fact, one emergency manger told me, ‘It is like a stake has been driven into the heart of emergency management.’”

“Reconstituting FEMA is a necessary first step that James Lee Witt recognized back in 2004,” Moore said. “We need to act now so that our nation is truly prepared to respond when our citizens need our help.”