(Washington, DC)— In a letter to President Bush, Congresswoman Diane E.Watson (CA-33rd) called for the resignation of FEMA Director Michael Brown.  The letter was co-signed by 35 of her congressional colleagues.

“The restoration of faith in the federal government’s response to one of the greatest natural disasters to face our nation must begin with relieving FEMA Director Michael Brown from his duties,” said Congresswoman Watson.  “FEMA’s response was at best haphazard and amateurish.  It cost the lives of potentially thousands of Americans who may have been saved by a more expeditious and overwhelming response by FEMA.”

“The nation cannot wait for an official investigation of the federal government’s response to the hurricane, which will take months, when it is clear that the federal government still does not have its act together under FEMA Director Brown’s leadership.”

Watson listed a number of recent foul-ups by FEMA to underscore her point:

• In the Gulf of Mexico, the USS Bataan, a Navy hospital ship, has been sitting in the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Katrina hit.  The Bataan’s hospital beds are still empty. 

• FEMA requested hundreds of fire fighters from around the country to rescue Katrina victims, but for four days they’ve been sitting idle in a hotel at the Atlanta airport, playing cards and studying FEMA history.

• On Tuesday, FEMA asked the South Carolina Department of Public Health to receive 180 injured evacuees from New Orleans.  The South Carolina doctors waited for hours for the evacuees to arrive in Charleston.  It turns out that FEMA sent the evacuees to the wrong Charleston – Charleston, West Virginia, instead of Charleston, South Carolina, where the doctors were waiting.

• FEMA Director Brown waited hours after Katrina hit before submitting a plan to send FEMA personnel into action despite the fact that the President declared a federal emergency two days before Katrina hit.

“Michael Brown needs to go now,” concluded Watson.  “This is not a political act, it is a humanitarian act.  It’s about protecting our citizens.  Insisting on Mr. Brown’s resignation would only be the first of many steps required to restore our nation’s confidence in the federal government’s ability to provide for and protect its citizenry.”

The complete text of the letter follows:

September 7, 2005

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

The restoration of faith in the federal government’s response to one the greatest natural disasters to face our nation must begin with relieving FEMA Director Michael Brown from his duties.

The response of FEMA and the federal government in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was at best haphazard and amateurish.  It cost the lives of potentially thousands of Americans who may have been saved by a more expeditious and overwhelming response by FEMA.

Mr. Brown, unfortunately, appears ill-prepared to head a federal agency charged with the responsibility for managing a disaster relief of epic proportions.  Previous to his appointment to FEMA, Mr. Brown had no experience in emergency relief and disaster management.

We expect FEMA to react expeditiously to disasters within our nation’s borders. Mr. Brown’s ineptitude reflects poorly on your administration’s commitment to FEMA and homeland security.  Insisting on Mr. Brown’s resignation would only be the first of many steps required to restore our nation’s confidence in the federal government’s ability to provide for and protect its citizenry.

Sincerely,

Letter signed by: Diane E. Watson (CA), Barbara Lee (CA), Jan Schakowsky (IL), Gregory Meeks (NY), Charles Rangel (NY), Gwen Moore (WI), Hilda Solis (CA), Marcy Kaptur (OH), Peter DeFazio (CA), Corrine Brown (FL), Major Owens (NY), Carolyn Kilpatrick (MI), Juanita Millender-McDonald (CA), Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX), Bernie Sanders (VT), Emanuel Cleaver (MO), John Conyers (MI), Albert R. Wynn (MD), Sam Farr (CA), Danny Davis (IL), Earl Blumenauer (OR), Lois Capps (CA), Michael Honda (CA), James Clyburn (SC), Maxine Waters (CA), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Barney Frank (NY), Jerrold Nadler (NY), Bob Filner (CA), Dale E. Kildee (MI), Maurice Hinchey (NY), John Lewis (GA), Dennis J. Kucinich (OH), Stephen Lynch (MA), Rosa DeLauro (CT), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH)