House Committee on Homeland Security 

Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response

Release Date: March 1, 2007
Release Number: FNF-07-004

R. David Paulison
Director, FEMA

Oral Testimony

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Even before the reorganization was announced in January, FEMA had made major reforms based on the lessons learned from our response to Katrina and the 2005 Hurricane Season. It is often said that “those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.” We have learned and we have changed. Today’s FEMA is better, stronger and more nimble than the FEMA of just last year.

Last fall, Congress passed the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act to authorize and encourage further reforms. DHS and FEMA took this as an opportunity to review our operations and organization. We have not done the bare minimum required by the law. Instead, we have developed a robust organizational structure that will be better equipped to serve the American people.

Under the new structure, FEMA will have a strengthened presence within DHS and many of the functions necessary to prepare for, respond to and recover from a disaster will be better aligned directly within the agency.

FEMA will be headed by an Administrator, two Deputy Administrators and a number of key Assistant Administrators. My written testimony includes an organizational chart of this New FEMA. President Bush and Secretary Chertoff have asked me to continue to serve as the new Administrator.

The structure takes advantage of this opportunity to improve our operations and business processes. We do not just have a Deputy for “Old FEMA” and one for the new pieces.
We are truly realigning our functions where it makes sense. Some of the existing FEMA offices will fall under a new Preparedness Directorate while some of the moving DHS programs will report to the Chief Operating Officer. And a few of the offices will report directly to me.
The New FEMA will consult with and hear from New Voices. Under our new structure, we will have: A Disability Coordinator; A Senior Law Enforcement Advisor; A Small State and Rural Advocate; and a National Advisory Council.

Changing FEMA in Washington is not enough. The Reorganization has a major Regional component. The Regions are truly where “the rubber meets the road.”
For the first time in recent memory, we now have full-time Regional Directors in all 10 of our Regions. And the new structure will include Regional Advisory Councils and Regional Grant Advocates to help improve our communication with tribal, state and local governments as well as the private sector.

All of these changes are set to go into effect on March 31st of this year. We have been working to ensure a smooth transition since last fall. While there may be a few bumps along the way, we have clear procedures and policies in place to move these reforms forward while maintaining our ability to respond during this period of change.

The President’s Budget request reflects the priorities of this New FEMA and incorporates our new structure. It demonstrates President Bush’s commitment to building a strong national emergency management system. Looking back, it is hard to believe that we allocated only $350 million on preparedness grants in 2001. In the last five years we have allocated more than $16 billion to state and local governments. In FY08 we propose an additional $2.2 billion in FEMA grants.

With a new structure and improved financial resources, what does a “New” FEMA mean for the American Public? The New FEMA will prove to the public that we are an agency that works for all citizens. The New FEMA will capitalize on partnerships among the federal, tribal, state and local authorities—because we will bring value. The New FEMA will manage our assets more efficiently and effectively. The New FEMA will help the Nation continue to build a culture of preparedness. The New FEMA will be ready to take a leadership role where needed, provide support where appropriate and be on-hand across the country before and after any major event.

Thank you for your time and we look forward to continuing to work with you in the days and years to come.

Last Modified: Thursday, 01-Mar-2007 18:30:35