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Congressman Lungren Honors Dr Martin Luther King |
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January 15, 2009 |
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Washington DC- Today Congressman Dan Lungren (R-CA), one of the authors of the bill establishing the Martin Luther King national holiday, released the following statement: “Today, January 15, we celebrate the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King. Monday, January 19, our nation sets aside a special day to honor his life and work which has meant so much to so many. This year’s holiday is especially meaningful with the election of Barack Obama as our 44th President of the United States. “Dr. King had a dream that people would be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. We will soon see his dream becoming a reality for the highest office in the land. “As we reflect upon Dr. King’s life it is important to remember his message of equality and freedom for all. Guided by the principle that 'all men are created equal,' Dr. King worked to bring people together. He peacefully sought change for civil rights and upheld the ideals set forth in our nation’s heritage of life and liberty. “Dr. King is an inspiration to all of us, this is certain. His example showed us if we are going to solve the problems of this country we must work together. Whatever our political affiliation: Democrat, Republican or Independent, we are all part of the same American family and together we can overcome any challenge.
“On the eve of President-elect Obama’s inauguration, we honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King: a civil rights leader, humanitarian and an American icon who paid the ultimate price in his quest for justice.” |
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January 14, 2009 |
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Washington DC – Today Congressman Lungren (R-CA), Ranking Member on the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, contributed to a Washington Times Op-Ed, making the case for the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) to remain under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rather than stand on its own. The following is the OP-ED from the Washington Times: KING, ET. AL: Keep FEMA within Homeland Security
Peter T. King, Mark Souder, Dan Lungren, Mike Rogers, Dave Reichert, Michael McCaul, Charlie Dent
OP-ED: As we await this week's hearings on the confirmation of Governor Janet Napolitano as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, one of the most widely discussed issues seems to be the fate of FEMA within the Department of Homeland Security. But the problem is the current debate is anything but current. Those calling for a stand-alone FEMA often cite the agency's failures during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, an emotional response three years out of date that fails to acknowledge recent progress by the agency. To fairly judge if FEMA should stay in DHS, we must look at the events of 2008 and not 2005. This year has been the busiest the agency has seen in 12 years, with 74 declared disasters, ranging from hurricanes, wildfires, and tornadoes to once-in-a-century flooding in the Midwest. Overall, the assessment of FEMA's current performance is overwhelmingly positive. When asked how the reaction of FEMA had been in the immediate aftermath of the Greensburg, Kansas tornado, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius remarked — “I'd say they get an A. Clearly, there's lessons learned from former catastrophes.” |
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