[House Hearing, 117 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
FEMA: BUILDING A WORKFORCE PREPARED AND READY TO RESPOND PART II
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,
RESPONSE, AND RECOVERY
of the
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
MARCH 1, 2022
__________
Serial No. 117-46
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Homeland Security
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
48-087PDF WASHINGTON : 2022
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi, Chairman
Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas John Katko, New York
James R. Langevin, Rhode Island Michael T. McCaul, Texas
Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey Clay Higgins, Louisiana
J. Luis Correa, California Michael Guest, Mississippi
Elissa Slotkin, Michigan Dan Bishop, North Carolina
Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri Jefferson Van Drew, New Jersey
Al Green, Texas Ralph Norman, South Carolina
Yvette D. Clarke, New York Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Iowa
Eric Swalwell, California Diana Harshbarger, Tennessee
Dina Titus, Nevada Andrew S. Clyde, Georgia
Bonnie Watson Coleman, New Jersey Carlos A. Gimenez, Florida
Kathleen M. Rice, New York Jake LaTurner, Kansas
Val Butler Demings, Florida Peter Meijer, Michigan
Nanette Diaz Barragan, California Kat Cammack, Florida
Josh Gottheimer, New Jersey August Pfluger, Texas
Elaine G. Luria, Virginia Andrew R. Garbarino, New York
Tom Malinowski, New Jersey
Ritchie Torres, New York
Hope Goins, Staff Director
Daniel Kroese, Minority Staff Director
Natalie Nixon, Clerk
------
SUBCOMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, AND RECOVERY
Val Butler Demings, Florida, Chairwoman
Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas Kat Cammack, Florida, Ranking
Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey Member
Al Green, Texas Clay Higgins, Louisiana
Bonnie Watson Coleman, New Jersey Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Iowa
Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi (ex Andrew R. Garbarino, New York
officio) John Katko, New York (ex officio)
Lauren McClain, Subcommittee Staff Director
Diana Bergwin, Minority Subcommittee Staff Director
Aaron Greene, Subcommittee Clerk
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Statements
The Honorable Val Butler Demings, a Representative in Congress
From the State of Florida, and Chairwoman, Subcommittee on
Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery:
Oral Statement................................................. 1
Prepared Statement............................................. 2
The Honorable Kat Cammack, a Representative in Congress From the
State of Florida, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Emergency
Preparedness, Response, and Recovery:
Oral Statement................................................. 3
Prepared Statement............................................. 5
The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson, a Representative in Congress
From the State of Mississippi, and Chairman, Committee on
Homeland Security:
Prepared Statement............................................. 6
Witnesses
Mr. Erik A. Hooks, Deputy Administrator, Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security:
Oral Statement................................................. 7
Prepared Statement............................................. 9
For the Record
The Honorable Clay Higgins, a Representative in Congress From the
State of Louisiana:
Letter From the Lake Charles Harbor & Terminal District........ 18
The Honorable Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Representative in Congress
From the State of New Jersey:
Letter......................................................... 20
Appendix
Questions From Chairwoman Val Demings for Erik A. Hooks.......... 29
Questions From Honorable Clay Higgins for Erik A. Hooks.......... 32
FEMA: BUILDING A WORKFORCE PREPARED AND READY TO RESPOND PART II
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Tuesday, March 1, 2022
U.S. House of Representatives,
Committee on Homeland Security,
Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness,
Response, and Recovery,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., via
Webex, Hon. Val Butler Demings [Chairwoman of the subcommittee]
presiding.
Present: Representatives Demings, Jackson Lee, Payne,
Green, Cammack, Higgins, Watson Coleman, Miller-Meeks, and
Garbarino.
Chairwoman Demings. The Subcommittee on Emergency
Preparedness, Response, and Recovery will be in order. Without
objection, the Chair is authorized to declare the subcommittee
in recess at any point.
Good morning, everyone. Our hearing today is a continuation
of a very important topic that the subcommittee examined on
January 20, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's work
force. I am pleased that FEMA Deputy Director Erik Hooks is
joining our hearing this morning.
As we all know, the most valuable resources of any
organization are the men and women on the ground executing the
mission. FEMA's work force works nonstop to help those in need,
and I am so grateful for their dedication to their mission.
As a former law enforcement officer and as a Member of
Congress now, I have personally seen the incredible work FEMA
has done to support Floridians in the wake of disasters, like
Hurricane Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne in 2004, and Hurricane
Irma in 2017.
In recent years, FEMA has faced unprecedented challenges
and growing responsibilities that have taken a toll on the
agency's work force. FEMA has risen to the challenge of meeting
an expanded mission scope, helping with everything from the
resettlement of Afghan evacuees to responding to record-
breaking natural disasters.
As the threat of climate change continues to grow, sadly,
severe weather is becoming the new normal, a reality that will
only further add stressors to FEMA's already burdened workload.
The demands of climate change puts on the FEMA work force--or
the demands that climate change puts on the FEMA work force are
unprecedented. The increase in disaster declaration in recent
years reflects a significant increase in FEMA's workload.
Compared to the 1960's, when there was, on average, 18
disasters every year, we saw 104 major disaster declarations in
2020, and 58 major disaster declarations in 2021.
Furthermore, the COVID-19 response continues to be a part
of FEMA's workload. A U.S. Government Accountability Office
report found that over half of FEMA's Public Assistance work
force had spent time working on the COVID-19 response for their
primary duty station, meaning that fewer FEMA employees can
focus on long-term recovery for existing projects.
Regularly, new challenges and threats arise, stressing the
importance of FEMA's mission. For example, FEMA's work force
also plays a central role in ensuring our communities are
protected from man-made threats through the administration of
several grant programs, including the Nonprofit Security Grant
Program. The recent spate of bomb threats against Historically
Black Colleges and Universities, along with houses of worship,
emphasize the importance of the Nonprofit Security Grant
Program in guarding our communities against the terrorist
attacks and the extent that we depend on the FEMA work force to
provide these critical resources.
Increased responsibilities and crises have led to
challenges with recruitment, training, and retention. These
work force challenges have the potential to jeopardize FEMA's
ability to meet the mission. In recent years, FEMA has taken
important steps to grow its work force. Between fiscal year
2016 and 2021, the FEMA work force grew by almost 8,000
employees, a significant achievement. However, FEMA still has
work to do in reaching its target staffing levels.
FEMA relies on reservist employees that are called upon to
temporarily respond to disasters as they arise. However, given
training restraints and the lack of employment protections and
benefits for these employees, FEMA has struggled to maintain
the strongest reservist work force.
FEMA has also taken steps to build a more inclusive and
diverse work force that better reflects the communities it
serves. Similarly, FEMA committed to additional accountability
initiatives to combat workplace harassment and discrimination.
I applaud Administrator Criswell's prioritization of the
FEMA work force within the 2022 to 2026 Strategic Plan.
Furthermore, under the Biden administration FEMA has emphasized
a new focus on equity, central to which is ensuring a diverse
and inclusive work force that represents the diversity of
American communities that it seeks to serve.
With that, I am very pleased to welcome FEMA's Deputy
Administrator Erik Hooks before the committee today. I look
forward to hearing about FEMA's work to support its workplace
and hear how Congress can best support the agency in its
mission.
[The statement of Chairwoman Demings follows:]
Statement of Chairwoman Val Demings
March 1, 2022
Our hearing today is a continuation of a very important topic that
the subcommittee examined on January 20, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency's workforce. I am pleased that FEMA Deputy
Administrator Erik Hooks is joining our hearing this morning. As we all
know, the most valuable resources of any organization are the men and
women on the ground, executing the mission. FEMA's workforce works
nonstop to help those in need, and I am so grateful for their
dedication to the mission.
As a former law enforcement officer and a Member of Congress, I
have personally seen the incredible work FEMA has done to support
Floridians in the wake of disasters, like Hurricanes Charley, Frances,
Ivan, and Jeanne in 2004 and Hurricane Irma in 2017.
In recent years, FEMA has faced unprecedented challenges and
growing responsibilities that have taken a toll on the agency's
workforce. FEMA has risen to the challenge of meeting an expanded
mission scope--helping with everything from the resettlement of Afghan
evacuees to responding to record-breaking natural disasters.
As the threat of climate change continues to grow, sadly, severe
weather is becoming the new normal--a reality that will only further
add stressors to FEMA's already-burdened workload.
The demands climate change puts on the FEMA workforce are
unprecedented. The increase in disaster declarations in recent years
reflects a significant increase in FEMA's workload. Compared to the
1960's when there were on average 18 disasters every year, we saw 104
major disaster declarations in 2020, and in 2021 there were 58 major
disaster declarations.
Furthermore, the COVID-19 response continues to be a part of FEMA's
workload. A U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found
that over half of FEMA's Public Assistance workforce has spent time
working on the COVID-19 response from their primary duty station,
meaning that fewer FEMA employees can focus on long-term recovery for
existing projects.
Regularly, new challenges and threats arise, stressing the
importance of FEMA's mission. For example, FEMA's workforce also plays
a central role in ensuring our communities are protected from man-made
threats through the administration of several grant programs, including
the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
The recent spate of bomb threats against Historically Black
Colleges and Universities, along with other houses of worship,
emphasize the importance of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program in
guarding our communities against the terrorist attacks and the extend
that we depend on the FEMA workforce to provide these critical
resources.
Increased responsibilities and crises have led to challenges with
recruitment, training, and retention. These workforce challenges have
the potential to jeopardize FEMA's ability to meet this mission. In
recent years, FEMA has taken important steps to grow its workforce.
Between fiscal year 2016 and fiscal year 2021, the FEMA workforce grew
by almost 8,000 employees, a significant achievement. However, FEMA
still has work to do in reaching its target staffing levels.
FEMA relies on reservist employees that are called upon to
temporarily respond to disasters as they arise. However, given training
constraints and the lack of employment protections and benefits for
these employees, FEMA has struggled to maintain a strong reservist
workforce.
FEMA has also taken steps to build a more inclusive and diverse
workforce that better reflect the communities it serves. Similarly,
FEMA committed to additional accountability initiatives to combat
workplace harassment and discrimination.
I applaud Administrator Deanne Criswell's prioritization of the
FEMA workforce within the 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan. Furthermore,
under the Biden administration FEMA has emphasized a new focus on
equity, central to which is ensuring a diverse and inclusive workforce
that represents the diversity of American communities that it seeks to
serve.
On that note, I am very pleased to welcome FEMA Deputy
Administrator Erik Hooks before the committee today, and I look forward
to hearing about FEMA's work to support its workplace and hear how
Congress can best support the agency in its mission.
Chairwoman Demings. The Chair now recognizes the Ranking
Member of the Emergency Preparedness, Response, & Recovery
Subcommittee, the gentlewoman from Florida, Mrs. Cammack, for
an opening statement.
Mrs. Cammack. Well, thank you, Chairwoman Demings. Thank
you to my colleagues for joining us for this important hearing
today.
Now, before I begin, I do want to take a moment to
recognize all of the hardworking men and women at FEMA. We
truly cannot thank you enough for your extraordinary work and
dedication in some of our Nation's toughest times of need, so
thank you.
Now, about a month, ago, this committee--this subcommittee
held a hearing to discuss the challenges facing the FEMA work
force. During that hearing, we heard testimony from
representatives from GAO and RAND and from former FEMA
Administrator Craig Fugate, who, I am proud to say, is a
constituent of mine and calls the Gator Nation home.
During the course of the hearing, much of our discussion
centered around how FEMA's mission sets have grown in recent
years. FEMA has led the Government's response to the COVID-19
pandemic, assisted in the Afghan refugee resettlement efforts,
and provided operational support to the Department of Health
and Human Services with unaccompanied children crossing the
border. FEMA has been called upon to handle these new
challenges, all while facing an unprecedented number of natural
disasters.
That hearing, unfortunately, did little to alleviate my
concern that while FEMA employees are incredibly capable and
resilient, these multiple mission sets and the abundance of
natural disasters are exhausting the work force, creating
burnout. I do recognize that employee burnout is an issue that
FEMA Administrator Criswell has been working to address, so it
is my hope that during this hearing today we will learn about
the proactive steps the agency is taking to remedy this
problem.
In addition to discussing these multiple mission sets, we
also heard from RAND about a survey they conducted on
harassment and discrimination in the FEMA workplace. The survey
found that of the personnel that completed the survey, about 29
percent of employees experienced sex, race, or ethnicity-based
discrimination. The survey also found that women were more
likely to experience a civil rights violation, and that rates
of civil rights of violations varied significantly across the
different FEMA offices.
As a result of this survey, FEMA published a Culture
Improvement Action Plan, which was designed to increase
employee awareness of the RAND survey results and provide
transparent communication of work force culture objectives.
FEMA also made anti-sexual harassment training mandatory across
the agency.
Now, I applaud the steps that FEMA has taken to address
these serious issues and I look forward to hearing more from
Deputy Administrator Hooks today about how the culture at the
agency has improved.
It is also my understanding that RAND has conducted a
second survey. I look forward to reviewing those results when
they are published.
We also heard testimony from GAO, who have conducted a
number of reports over the years examining the FEMA work force.
The GAO reports focused on a number of specific concerns,
including staffing shortages and FEMA's challenges in deploying
staff with the right qualifications and skills at the right
times to meet disaster needs.
Both GAO and former FEMA Administrator Fugate's testimony
highlighted the difficulties that FEMA has had in growing and
developing their reservist work force. Ensuring a well-trained
reservist work force is essential given that they often
comprise some of the greatest proportion of FEMA staff in the
field during a disaster.
Now, before I yield back, Mr. Currie from GAO brought up
one point during that hearing that has really stuck with me. He
highlighted that FEMA is currently managing almost 1,000 prior
disasters that are in some stage of recovery today. That means
that FEMA is still dealing with disasters from 5, 10, and even
15 years ago.
As we look at ways to strengthen and improve the FEMA work
force, I believe it is critical that we also look at ways to
update some of FEMA's policies and procedures to help address
existing backlogs. Addressing this backlog and the reasons
behind it will help communities recover faster and also will
help alleviate some of the pressure on the FEMA work force.
Because as the past few years have shown, there is no longer a
down season for disasters.
I look forward to hearing from Deputy Administrator Hooks
today regarding these challenges facing FEMA and about the
steps that the agency is taking to move forward in a positive
manner.
With that, I yield back to the Chairwoman, Mrs. Demings
from the great State of Florida. I yield back.
[The statement of Ranking Member Cammack follows:]
Statement of Ranking Member Kat Cammack
Thank you, Chairwoman Demings for holding this important hearing
today.
Before I begin, I do want to take a moment to recognize all the
hardworking men and women at FEMA. We truly cannot thank you enough for
the extraordinary work that you do, each and every day.
A little over a month ago, this subcommittee held a hearing to
discuss the challenges facing the FEMA workforce. During that hearing
we heard testimony from representatives from GAO and RAND, and from
former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.
During the course of the hearing, much of our discussion centered
around how FEMA's mission sets have grown in recent years. FEMA has led
the Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, assisted in the
Afghan refugee resettlement efforts, and provided operational support
to the Department of Health and Human Services with unaccompanied
children crossing the border.
FEMA has been called upon to handle these new challenges, all while
facing an unprecedented number of natural disasters.
That hearing, unfortunately, did little to alleviate my concern
that, while FEMA employees are incredibly capable and resilient, these
multiple mission sets, and the abundance of natural disasters are
exhausting the workforce.
I do recognize that employee burnout is an issue that FEMA
Administrator Criswell has been working to address, so it is my hope
that during this hearing today we will learn about some of the
proactive steps the agency is taking to remedy this problem.
In addition to discussing these multiple mission sets, we also
heard from RAND about a survey they conducted on harassment and
discrimination in the FEMA workplace. The survey found that of the
personnel that completed the survey, about 29 percent of employees
experienced sex, race, or ethnicity-based discrimination.
The survey also found that women were more likely to experience a
civil rights violation and that rates of civil rights violations varied
significantly across the different FEMA offices.
As a result of this survey, FEMA published a Culture Improvement
Action Plan, which was designed to increase employee awareness of the
RAND survey results and provide transparent communication of workforce
culture objectives.
FEMA also made anti-sexual harassment training mandatory across the
agency.
I applaud the steps that FEMA has already taken to address this
serious issue and I look forward to hearing more from Deputy
Administrator Hooks today about how the culture at the agency has
improved.
It is also my understanding that RAND has conducted a second
survey, and I look forward to reviewing those results when they are
published.
We also heard testimony from GAO, who have conducted a number of
reports over the years examining the FEMA workforce. The GAO reports
focused on a number of specific concerns including staffing shortages
and FEMA's challenges in deploying staff with the right qualifications
and skills at the right times to meet disaster needs.
Both GAO and former FEMA Administrator Fugate's testimony also
highlighted the difficulties that FEMA has had in growing and
developing their reservist workforce. Ensuring a well-trained reservist
workforce is essential, given that they often comprise the greatest
proportion of FEMA staff in the field during a disaster.
Before I yield back, Mr. Currie from GAO brought up one point
during that hearing that has really stuck with me. He highlighted that
FEMA is currently managing almost 1,000 prior disasters, that are still
in some stage of recovery. This means that FEMA is still dealing with
disasters from 5, 10, or even 15 years ago.
As we look at ways to strengthen and improve the FEMA workforce, I
believe it is critical that we also look at ways to update some of
FEMA's policies and procedures to help address existing backlog.
Addressing this backlog, and the reasons behind it, will help
communities recover faster and also will help alleviate some of the
pressure on the FEMA workforce.
Because as the past few years have shown, there is no longer a down
season for disasters.
I look forward to hearing from Deputy Administrator Hooks today
regarding the challenges facing FEMA, and about the steps that the
agency is taking to move forward positively.
With that, thank you Chairwoman Demings, and I yield back.
Chairwoman Demings. The Chair thanks the Ranking Member,
Mrs. Cammack. Members are reminded that the committee will
operate according to the guidelines laid out by the Chairman
and Ranking Member in their February 3 colloquy regarding
remote procedures. Without objection, Members not on the
subcommittee shall be permitted to sit and question the
witnesses. Additional Member statements may be submitted for
the record.
[The statement of Chairman Thompson follows:]
Statement of Chairman Bennie G. Thompson
March 1, 2022
In January, the subcommittee held a hearing on this important topic
with former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, the Government
Accountability Office (GAO), and the RAND Corporation. I am pleased the
subcommittee is continuing the conversation with FEMA's newly-confirmed
deputy administrator, Erik Hooks. At the outset, let me thank the FEMA
workforce for their service. They play a pivotal role in protecting our
communities, including in my home State of Mississippi, where we have
been hit by several disasters over the years.
FEMA's workforce has been challenged with responding to multiple
large-scale disasters while being pulled into other critical missions.
They have carried out response efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic
and supported other Federal agencies' missions, such as Operation
Allies Welcome. FEMA is also responsible for allocating homeland
security grants, including those designed to help nonprofit
organizations protect themselves from terrorist threats.
FEMA's ability to support the Federal Government's efforts in a
variety of missions demonstrates its workforce's skill and
adaptability. Nonetheless, the growing number of missions and the
overall workload have strained the agency. Currently, FEMA is dealing
with workforce challenges, including hiring, training, and retention. I
am particularly concerned about hiring challenges within FEMA. Over the
years, the agency has struggled to hire staff.
After the devastating 2017 hurricanes, GAO found that FEMA faced
challenges in training employees and maintaining staffing levels across
concurrent disasters. Another workforce challenge is retention. In
2020, more FEMA workers transferred to other agencies than in any other
year over the past decade. This attrition could be the result of burnt-
out, as FEMA employees have been going from one mission to the next,
often without any reprieve between missions. Equally troubling is the
agency is addressing harassment, gender, race, and ethnicity findings
that were identified in a 2020 RAND Corporation report.
The Biden administration is focusing on strengthening the FEMA
workforce through its fiscal year 2022 budget request and in
Administrator Deanne Criswell's 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan. While
these are important first steps, more work needs to be done to ensure
that FEMA has a robust workforce that is fully equipped to handle its
growing mission. I look forward to hearing from the deputy
administrator today about the challenges facing the men and women of
FEMA and what Congress can do to make this dedicated workforce
stronger.
Chairwoman Demings. I now welcome our witness, Mr. Erik
Hooks, deputy administrator of FEMA, Federal Emergency
Management Agency. In July 2021, Mr. Hooks was appointed by
President Biden for the role of deputy administrator. He was
confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December 2021.
Prior to his time at FEMA, Mr. Hooks spent over 30 years in
public service in his home State of North Carolina, where he
focused on public safety, law enforcement, and emergency
management. In 2017, Mr. Hooks was appointed by Governor Cooper
to be North Carolina's secretary of public safety and homeland
security advisor, where he led the State's disaster mitigation
response and recovery efforts.
Mr. Deputy Administrator, I understand that this is your
first time testifying since your confirmation. Welcome and we
look forward to your testimony.
Without objection, the witness' full statement will be
inserted in the record. I now ask Deputy Administrator Hooks to
summarize his statement for 5 minutes.
OK, we apparently have some technical difficulties. We are
going to recess just for a couple of minutes. I ask the Members
to please stand by. We will notify when we are back up. Thank
you.
[Recess]
Chairwoman Demings. OK. I do believe that we are back.
Deputy Administrator, can you hear me?
Mr. Hooks. Yes, ma'am, Madam Chair. My deepest apologies
for the technical errors.
Chairwoman Demings. That is OK. Maybe during the question
what can Congress do to assist, but anyway, we are so glad that
you are back with us. We are glad that our Members are here as
well.
I am going to yield to you to summarize your statement for
5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF ERIK A. HOOKS, DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, FEDERAL
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA), U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Mr. Hooks. Thank you, Chair Demings, Ranking Member
Cammack, and Members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the
opportunity to discuss FEMA's on-going efforts to bolster our
Nation's emergency management work force and describe how the
agency's new Strategic Plan guides this priority.
FEMA's mission of helping people before, during, and after
disasters has never been more critical. The field of emergency
management is at a pivotal moment due to the tremendous change
in our Nation's risk landscape. In the last 2 years alone, FEMA
has faced historic natural disasters, a Nation-wide COVID-19
pandemic, and other challenging missions. Our work force of
nearly 22,000 emergency managers does exceptional work every
day, and ensuring their continued readiness and well-being is a
priority for Administrator Criswell and for me. I will briefly
describe FEMA's on-going efforts to bolster our work force and
the broader emergency management community within the context
of 3 strategic goals in our Strategic Plan.
Our first strategic goal is to instill equity as a
foundation of emergency management. We know disasters, both
natural and otherwise, impact people and----
Chairwoman Demings. Deputy Administrator, I am so sorry to
interrupt you. I need to officially do a countdown to
officially declare us out of recess, so if you would just bear
with me.
Five, four, three, two, one. The Subcommittee on Emergency
Preparedness and Response is now out of recess and is
reconvening.
Deputy Administrator, back to you. Thank you.
Mr. Hooks. Thank you. We know disasters, both natural and
otherwise, impact people and communities differently, based on
geography, demographics, and historical and cultural
characteristics. These unique contexts require tailored
solutions designed to meet their unique needs. Underserved
communities often suffer disproportionately from disasters. By
instilling equity as a foundation of emergency management, we
can break--we can work to break this cycle and build a more
resilient Nation.
FEMA is committed to ensuring our employees increasingly
reflect the diversity of the Nation. In alignment with our
Strategic Plan, FEMA is working to recruit individuals from
underrepresented communities. This includes partnering with
organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and
Universities to help create hiring pipelines into the field of
emergency management. The agency will also continue to invest
in professional development for all FEMA employees to foster an
environment where individuals feel safe, valued, and empowered.
Our second strategic goal is to lead the whole of community
in climate resilience. Administrative Criswell has called
climate change the crisis of our generation. In 2020 alone,
there were a record 22 weather- and climate-related disaster
events across the United States whose losses exceeded $1
billion; 2021 was a close second. The growing severity of these
events increases the time it takes for communities to recover,
and this process can be further complicated by repeated
disasters in areas already struggling to bounce back from past
events. In this regard, I would like to thank Congress for
providing FEMA with additional resources to mitigate the impact
of climate change by passing the Infrastructure Investment and
Jobs Act, which includes funding for grants to establish
revolving loan funds and additional resources for FEMA's Hazard
Mitigation Assistance Grant Program.
Our third strategic goal is to promote and sustain a ready
FEMA and a prepared Nation. The increase in frequency,
severity, and complexity of disasters has heightened demands on
FEMA's work force and on those across the larger emergency
management community.
To adapt to that trend, FEMA must expand its approach to
agency readiness and National preparedness. This expansion
necessitates an increase in the Nation's overall emergency
management capabilities at all levels of Government and
society. Through FEMA's training programs, including the Center
for Domestic Preparedness, the agency is working to make
training available to emergency managers where they are at any
time in their careers.
Internally, FEMA is also taking steps to improve our
ability to meet the increasing number of current and emerging
threats requiring Federal support. As we implement the new
Strategic Plan and prepare for what lies ahead, our work force
has never been more experienced or tested. Since joining the
agency in December 2021, I have been impressed by their
adaptability, dedication, and hard work. However, Administrator
Criswell and I recognize that much has been asked of them and
we are committed to supporting the FEMA work force in every way
possible.
As the former secretary of public safety in North Carolina,
I understand, like many of you, how disasters impact
communities. FEMA personnel meet people on what is likely the
worst days of their lives. Our work force demonstrates the very
best in America.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Hooks follows:]
Prepared Statement of Erik A. Hooks
March 1, 2021
Chair Demings, Ranking Member Cammack, and Members of the
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss FEMA's on-going
efforts to bolster our Nation's emergency management workforce and
describe how the agency's new Strategic Plan guides this priority.
FEMA's mission of helping people before, during, and after
disasters has never been more critical. The field of emergency
management is at a pivotal moment due to the tremendous change in our
Nation's risk landscape. Disasters are becoming more frequent, severe,
and complex, and the demands placed upon the emergency management
community are increasing exponentially. In the last 2 years alone, FEMA
has faced historic natural disasters, a Nation-wide COVID-19 pandemic,
and other challenging missions. Our workforce of nearly 22,000
emergency managers does exceptional work every day, and ensuring their
continued readiness and well-being is a priority for Administrator
Criswell and for me.
Under the leadership of Administrator Criswell, FEMA released our
new Strategic Plan in December 2021. The guiding principles and
priorities align with President Biden's vision to improve equitable
outcomes for those we serve; increase our Nation's resilience to
climate change; and promote a ready and diverse workforce. The
Strategic Plan serves as the roadmap for the agency over the next 5
years. Its 3 cross-cutting goals are to: (1) Instill equity as a
foundation of emergency management; (2) lead whole of community in
climate resilience, and (3) promote and sustain a ready FEMA and
prepared Nation. In today's testimony, I will describe FEMA's on-going
efforts to bolster both our workforce and the broader emergency
management community within the context of these 3 strategic goals.
Our first strategic goal is to instill equity as a foundation of
emergency management. We know disasters, both natural and otherwise,
impact people and communities differently, based on geography,
demographics, and historical and cultural characteristics. These unique
contexts require tailored solutions designed to meet their unique
needs. Underserved communities often suffer disproportionately from
disasters and resulting impacts can worsen inequities already present
in society. This cycle compounds the challenges faced by these
communities, making it difficult to recover from both current and
future disasters. By instilling equity as a foundation of emergency
management and striving to meet the unique needs of underserved
communities, we can work to break this cycle and build a more resilient
Nation.
FEMA is committed to ensuring our employees increasingly reflect
the diversity of the Nation. The agency will continue to build an
inclusive workforce which represents the many identities, races,
ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, ages, cultures, and beliefs of the
people we serve. In alignment with our Strategic Plan, FEMA is working
to recruit individuals from underrepresented communities including
through partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCUs) and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium of Tribal
Colleges and Universities to create hiring pipelines into the field of
emergency management. The agency will also continue to invest in
professional development for all FEMA employees to foster an
environment in which individuals feel safe, valued, and empowered.
Our second strategic goal is to lead whole of community in climate
resilience. Administrator Criswell has called climate change ``the
crisis of our generation.'' Due to climate change, natural disasters
are more frequent, more intense, and more destructive. In 2020 alone,
there were a record 22 weather- and climate-related disaster events
across the United States whose losses exceeded $1 billion. Twenty-
twenty-one was a close second, with 20 weather- and climate-related
disasters exceeding $1 billion in losses. The growing severity of these
events increases the time it takes for communities to recover, and this
process can be further complicated by repeated disasters in areas
already struggling to bounce back from past events. These cascading and
compounding impacts pose the greatest risk to our communal and Nation-
wide resilience. I would like to thank Congress for working with the
Biden-Harris administration to provide FEMA with additional resources
to mitigate the impact of climate change by passing the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act. The significant funding made available by this
legislation for grants to establish revolving loan funds and FEMA's
Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants will provide our State, local,
territorial, and Tribal nation partners with greater financial support
for projects which invest in a more resilient Nation, reduce disaster
suffering, and lessen future disaster costs. These investments will
only grow in importance as climate change continues to alter the
landscape of risk facing emergency managers across the country.
Additionally, FEMA is working to make sure the agency's workforce is
well-equipped to advise our partners on the best ways to build climate
resilient communities.
These challenges require that FEMA build a foundational
understanding of climate science, the impacts of climate change, and
effective climate adaptation strategies. FEMA will grow a climate-
literate workforce through integration of climate science into policy,
programs, partnerships, field operations, and training. In 2022,
Administrator Criswell is directing a new collaborative steering group
comprised of leadership from FEMA's program offices to begin a multi-
year initiative that incorporates climate literacy into relevant
training, planning, grant eligibility, and exercises. FEMA program
offices and the U.S. Fire Administration will further collaborate to
strengthen the capability of State, local, territorial, and Tribal
nation partners to advance these critical issues within their pre- and
post-disaster work.
Our third strategic goal is to promote and sustain a ready FEMA and
prepared Nation. The 2017 hurricane and wildfire seasons marked a
change in disaster operations tempo. Compared to 2016, for the past 4
years, FEMA has had more than twice as many staff deployed every day of
the year. By November 2020, FEMA was managing 6 times as many
disasters, and responses to fire incidents were up 120 percent across
the Nation. This increase in frequency, severity, and complexity has
heightened demands on FEMA's workforce and on those across the larger
emergency management community.
To adapt to the trend, FEMA must expand its approach to agency
readiness and to National preparedness. This expansion necessitates an
increase in the Nation's overall emergency management capabilities at
all levels of government, as well as the private and nonprofit sectors,
and among individuals, households, and families.
Emergency management is a shared responsibility. We need to
continue to bolster the field of emergency management across the
country by better defining what it means to be an emergency manager and
building standardized career paths for the Nation's emergency
management workforce. FEMA's educational institutions will lead the
effort to advance the emergency management profession by supporting
curricula for comprehensive emergency management training, education,
and professional development for our partners across the Nation.
Through FEMA's training programs including the Center for Domestic
Preparedness (CDP), the agency is working to make training available to
emergency managers anywhere they are, at any time in their careers.
FEMA is modernizing their operational design so the Nation's Federal,
State, local, territorial, Tribal nation, non-governmental
organization, and private-sector emergency managers can meet the risks
posed by increasing hazards, and obtain the training required to become
certified within the National Qualification System.
Internally, FEMA is also taking steps to improve our ability to
meet the increasing number of current and emergent threats requiring
Federal support. As FEMA is increasingly engaged in complex missions
beyond typical Stafford Act emergencies and disasters, the agency must
envision, plan, and prepare for incidents that do not fall into common
disaster categories. FEMA must be able to quickly assess, adapt, and
surge. This effort includes bolstering capacity in the agency's
incident management and incident support workforce, continuity
communications, and logistics.
As FEMA's incident management and incident support workforce
continues to grow, we will also prioritize the growth of the
professional workforce which enables them. Our readiness must include
having the necessary specialists who can support the agency's disaster
workforce, such as the procurement specialists needed to execute the
contracts and mission assignments which allows the Government to
mobilize assistance; the professionals who facilitate data and
information sharing within FEMA's IT infrastructure; those who ensure
civil rights are protected in all activities; and the specialists
necessary to train the workforce, manage operations, and focus on
employee wellness.
As we implement the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan and prepare for what
lies ahead, our workforce has never been more experienced or tested.
Since joining the agency in December 2021, I have been impressed by
their adaptability, dedication, and hard work. However, Administrator
Criswell and I recognize that much has been asked of them, and we are
committed to supporting the FEMA workforce in every way possible going
forward. I ask for that same support from each of you.
As I look back on my time leading the Office of Public Safety in
North Carolina, I understand--like many of you--what readiness looks
like from the State and local perspective. No less is asked of our
Federal responders. The commitment demanded by our profession is not
small. FEMA personnel meet people on what is likely one of the worst
days of their lives. They support, they help, and along the way they
demonstrate the very best of America.
I look forward to all we will accomplish together as we continue to
build a more ready and resilient Nation. Thank you for the opportunity
to testify.
Chairwoman Demings. I thank the witness for his testimony.
I will remind the subcommittee that we will each have 5 minutes
to question our witness. I will now recognize myself for
questions.
Deputy administrator, for consecutive years now, FEMA has
pivoted from one emergency to another, in part driven by the
impact of climate change. You have shared the administrator's
feelings about the threat of climate change. What are the top
work force challenges FEMA is currently facing? How is the
agency addressing those challenges? The bottom line, deputy
administrator, does FEMA have a sufficient work force to
fulfill its obligations?
Mr. Hooks. Thank you, Madam Chair. You certainly recognize
the challenges that face not only FEMA, but really face the
Nation. Those challenges of the dynamic and severity of storms
has certainly increased, and meeting those challenges head-on
is what FEMA is charged to do.
Since my time in coming to the agency in December, I have
witnessed a dedicated and committed work force that has worked
tirelessly to meet those challenges, but recognized that those
challenges are many. So with that, we are constantly evaluating
our readiness, our cycles in which we allow our employees and
valued staff they have to rest. We are also working diligently
to increase our work force.
As you noted in your opening comments, we have made many
strides to improve our work force numbers to improve our
staffing levels. So we are working through a number of
communities, direct hires in local communities, partnering with
HBCUs to create that pipeline to establish a new broader base
of employees, a ready, willing, and able work force to move us
toward the future.
Chairwoman Demings. So, deputy administrator, I mean, you
are absolutely correct that the intensity of the major
disasters that we are facing, man-made threats as we mentioned
as well, COVID-19, but my question, do you believe that FEMA
has a sufficient work force? You have talked about the
dedication of the men and women, and certainly, I know every
Member on both sides of the aisle in this committee share that
sentiment about the dedication. But do you feel that FEMA has a
sufficient work force to meet the ever-increasing challenges?
Mr. Hooks. Ma'am, the most specific answer I could give to
that, that that is a process that is on-going. As threats
emerge, we have to constantly evaluate the staffing model that
we have in place and our readiness to take on those challenges.
We have certainly risen to the challenge, but it has worn out
our work force. So, we are trying to make those smart
investments into our readiness plan, in to our readiness cycle,
and also the development of new employees, too, so that when a
new disaster hits that they are not just on the roll, but they
are ready to meet disaster survivors where there are.
So we are getting better each and every day because we are
making those investments in their training, as I referred to
earlier. So the nature of disasters move, you know, very
dynamically and sometimes we meet those disasters in a way that
is fully to our satisfaction, but we always want to do more.
Chairwoman Demings. We have also talked about the
challenges of a reservist work force, the lack of perhaps
sufficient benefits, support for those employees, the
challenges of recruitment, training, retention. Could you talk
a little bit about that and what steps you are taking to kind-
of mitigate those challenges with keeping a resilient reservist
work force?
Mr. Hooks. Yes, ma'am, that is certainly a challenge, just
like the military relies on reserves, FEMA has relied on a
ready reserve force to protect our Nation and to respond to
disasters. But unlike the military, unfortunately, our work
force or our reserves do not have USERA-like protections that
would allow them to go back to their jobs and have their jobs
maintained for them while they are supporting the Nation. I am
aware that----
Chairwoman Demings. Let me ask you, deputy administrator,
let me ask you do you believe that you have the authority, that
FEMA has the authority to address that issue that you just
spoke of?
Mr. Hooks. Not within ourselves. We are working diligently
with the Congress and it is my understanding that the Senate
has already made some positive steps with the passage of the
CREW Act. So it is in the Congress' hands to move forward to
ensure that our reserve work force is strong, willing, and able
to move forward.
Chairwoman Demings. Thank you so much. I now recognize the
Ranking Member of the subcommittee, the gentlewoman from
Florida, Mrs. Cammack, for questions.
Mrs. Cammack. Thank you, Chairwoman Demings. I am actually
going to follow up on the questions and the line of questioning
that you were going down, talking about work force challenges,
talking about the reservist issues that FEMA faces. You know, I
share the same concerns that you do, that you have as well.
So, as a follow-up to that, I would like to ask in the
communities that make up our Nation, and you mentioned so many
of the reservists have other jobs and it is really a challenge
in trying to figure out how we can make up this necessary work
force with reservists at the time. But in communities across
the country, including mine, community colleges and vocational
education programs are critically important to helping ensure
that our local industries and businesses are able to meet the
work force needs.
So, can you speak to how FEMA is utilizing our community
colleges around the country to really bolster the efforts of
FEMA in addressing so many of the different disasters that our
country is facing?
Mr. Hooks. Yes. Thank you so much, Ranking Member Cammack.
I agree with you that community colleges play a critical role
in preparing the work force. I come from the State of North
Carolina where we have a robust community college system as
well. FEMA is endeavoring to work across the country with
community colleges because those are areas where key skills and
developments can be made.
So that outreach is on-going. It is a process. Many
community colleges already presubscribe for what curriculum
that we teach. But in order to professionalize the emergency
management further, we have to be in our community colleges as
well as our universities to offer the training and the
education to provide that ready work force to meet the needs of
the Nation.
Mrs. Cammack. So, as a follow-up to that, specifically what
programs are you promoting and how are you promoting the
programs through the community colleges? Are there certificate
initiatives that FEMA puts a premium on? Just looking for some
more in-the-weeds and in-depth about what these programs are.
Mr. Hooks. All right. Ranking Member Cammack, if you would
give me an opportunity to get back with staff and so I can get
you some more granular and specific information, we will be
sure to get that information to you. As part of the assessment
that I have been doing since I have been here the just over 2
months, I have been engaged in a lot of the broader contexts,
so as we move toward the weeds, which are necessary because the
devil oftentimes is in the details, as to how we move
positively forward, I promise that we will give a more specific
answer back to you as to what that specific engagement is with
our community colleges.
Mrs. Cammack. I appreciate that. I am going to redirect
here to the RAND report that a lot of this hearing is centered
around.
So, we know that this report entitled ``Harassment,
Discrimination on the Basis of Gender and Race Ethnicity in the
FEMA Workforce,'' examined the climate of different levels of
leadership within the agency. Many people found that their
immediate supervisor and FEMA leadership, they had a more
positive impression of immediate supervisors rather than the
leadership. So, can you speak to the steps specifically that
FEMA is taking in your office as well as Administrator Criswell
to improve not just having a policy or perception, but
meaningful change in garnering a more trustworthy leadership at
the highest levels of FEMA?
We might be having technical difficulties.
Chairwoman Demings, I think we lost our witness.
Chairwoman Demings. Deputy Administrator Hooks, are you
still with us?
OK. Staff has informed me that we have encountered
technical issues. We will now go into recess until those issues
are resolved. I ask that the Members please keep your cameras
on, your microphones muted. We will notify you as soon as this
issue is resolved.
Members, thank you so much for your patience. This is such
an important topic. We will be back soon. Thank you.
[Recess]
Mr. Hooks. Madam Chair, again we have--we are working
through some technical issues. Are you able to hear my----
Chairwoman Demings. OK. Let me do my countdown and we will
proceed. Members, thank you so much.
Five, four, three, two, one. The Subcommittee on Emergency
Preparedness and Response will again come to order. We are out
of recess.
Deputy Administrator, I believe that you were in the middle
of answering questions. Please proceed.
Mr. Hooks. Well, we actually froze while Representative
Cammack was starting to--we actually froze while Representative
Cammack was posing her question. So, if she can expand with----
Chairwoman Demings. OK. Ranking Member, if you would
please----
Mr. Hooks. My apologies for asking the gentlewoman----
Chairwoman Demings. Not a problem. Ranking Member, please
go ahead. We will adjust the clock accordingly.
Mrs. Cammack. I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you,
Chairwoman Demings. Deputy Administrator Hooks, I know how
frustrating it can be trying to get everything in the short
period of time along with technical difficulties.
Really, the genesis of my question was as part of the
findings with the RAND study that came out, there was a
significant discrepancy between the trustworthiness and support
of employees with their immediate supervisor versus the higher
echelons of leadership within the agency. So, I was asking
specifically what initiatives you in your office as well as the
administrator's office is taking to really reestablish and
pivot from the top to ensure that employees feel that they are
supported and that that culture change is taking place all the
way through all levels of the agency?
Mr. Hooks. Again, thank you for----
Mrs. Cammack. I feel like we are in a karaoke bar.
Mr. Hooks. Yes, yes, yes.
Mrs. Cammack. If it is helpful while we navigate some of
these technical challenges, I am happy for you to issue a
response in writing.
Mr. Hooks. Thank you. We can certainly follow up. All
right. I am hoping that we have it solved. Again, my deepest
apologies, particularly on such a very important issue.
I would say this, is that, again, as I described, I came to
FEMA approximately 2 months ago, but in my career in law
enforcement and public safety in North Carolina, I have a proud
record of dealing with issues of sexual harassment and
discrimination. But beyond that, empowering the work force, so
that women in particular can feel that they have a safe place
to work, a place to thrive, a place to grow, and that they can
contribute to the overall important mission of public safety
and emergency management.
I certainly learned of the findings of the RAND report
during the confirmation process and was deeply troubled by what
I had read and described behaviors. But what I also learned is
that FEMA has taken many strides. Administrator Criswell has
led the way. She came to FEMA approximately a year before I
arrived there and embedded in our Strategic Plan, we talked
about earlier, the Chairwoman talked about the Cultural
Improvement Plan. Well, that Cultural Improvement Plan is now
part of our overall Strategic Plan and is embedded in the
fabric of what we do day-to-day, so that nobody thinks that
this is some isolated program that we deal with issues of
harassment and sexual misconduct within our agency, or any
misconduct within the agency.
So, we want that strong thread woven throughout everything
that we do. We have done things, such as requiring harassment
training for all the employees and conducting listening
sessions for FEMA staff; conducting exit interviews with people
who have left staff. Because it has often been said that people
sometimes don't leave organizations, that people leave people.
So, we want to get at the heart as to why we are losing
valuable employees.
I also think that as we improve the dynamics, the
professionalism, and the diversity of FEMA that that will go a
long way to ensuring that everyone feels that they are valued,
that they have a place to thrive, whether they are in the
minority, majority, whether there is gender, race, or
ethnicity, that FEMA is here to serve the American public and
to do it with distinction. I would demand no less of anybody
that works around me and with me.
But I recognize that I am very up-front and frank with the
staff. It is not enough that we have a female visionary at the
lead of the agency or that I come in with my background and
being an ethnic minority. This is an American issue and we must
take it on together. We are up to that challenges and I have a
history of holding supervisors accountable throughout the ranks
to ensure that we have a healthy organization. Because if we
are not healthy internally, we cannot begin to adequately
implement programs proscribed by Congress.
Mrs. Cammack. I appreciate your answer and your
thoroughness and your patience in navigating the technical
challenges.
With that, Chairwoman Demings, I yield back.
Chairwoman Demings. The gentlewoman yields back. The Chair
now recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Payne, for 5
minutes.
Mr. Payne. Thank you, Madam Chair. Sir, in your testimony
you state that compared to 2016 FEMA has had more than twice as
many staff employed every day of the year for 4 years, and that
FEMA must expand its approach to agency readiness and to
National preparedness. Can you describe for the committee what
this expanded approach consists of?
Mr. Hooks. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. It is multifaceted. As we
have improved our ability to hire within the local communities,
that enhances our readiness because we are hiring individuals
who are familiar with those communities that they serve. I
think that that is a critical part of enhancing our readiness.
We have individuals who are trusted voices in their
communities, who come from those communities. Some of them may
have even been disaster survivors themselves, so they are
really in touch with those communities that they serve.
But that is not enough because we have to make sure that
they are adequately trained and ready to provide the services.
So, in the training program that I described earlier that we
are enhancing in a very robust way to reach out to those new
employees to ensure that they have the skills that they need to
immediately impact the communities in which they serve.
I am particularly in tune with this because what I have
told valued staff through FEMA is that whereas I come in as the
deputy director with over 3 decades of experience, I am a new
employee, too. So, I am learning as I lead. So the challenge
for them is to equip our new employees with the skills that
they need to meet disaster survivors where they are.
We also have improved and we have been improving on our
relationships with our emergency managers all across the
Nation. I think that that is fostered by the experience of
Administrator Criswell coming from a local agency and
background, and I hope to add into that thought process as
well, bringing a perspective of the States and territories to
FEMA and combine it with that Federal expertise, with
professional staff to drive our Nation forward.
So, all of these things go into our readiness. We have a
complete condition that as part of their commitment is
evaluating the readiness of our staff to ensure that they can
respond effectively and efficiently to all hazards that may be
presented to them. They are constantly working at evaluating
where we are at and how we are doing and the inputs and after-
action plans for every disaster, so that we can determine how
we can do things better.
I also have experience because I was the executive civilian
authority for the National Guard under the Governor's control
in North Carolina. So I am relying on some experiences and the
models that are in place with the National Guard as they have
taken on the challenges of readiness in their Reserve work
force as well.
Mr. Payne. Thank you for that. My second question, during
our January work force hearing I spoke with GAO's Chris Currie
and former Administrator Fugate about the burnout and mission
impacts of rapid redeployments on employee performance and
FEMA's ability to meet its mission. Twenty-twenty and 2021
included record-breaking disasters and strained the FEMA work
force. How has FEMA dealt with back-to-back deployments during
the past year to address burnout and improve employee
performance?
Mr. Hooks. Thank you, sir. Certainly understanding the
experience and expertise that Mr. Fugate brings to the
discussion, and FEMA has concurred with the recommendations
made by the GAO in May 2020 concerning our work force and we
agree with the challenges that are before us. So we want to
ensure that we equip leaders with the knowledge and skills that
they need to deploy the specific resources to the communities
that are in need. So that we have to make smarter investments
as to how we deploy to make sure that individuals, as much as
possible, can get a rest in between the cycles. It is not
unlike the many challenges that, again, the National Guard
faces in how to continue to have a ready work force based on
the number of missions before that.
So it begins with leadership, who understand that we have
to develop our new and emerging staff, so that we are just not
always calling up the same staff time and time again. We are
bringing these people into the work force, so we have to equip
them early with the skills, knowledge, and expertise early in
their careers and give them an opportunity to grow, and with
complete oversight because we still want the highest level of
service to disaster survivors possible and not continually call
on the same individuals.
We need to look within the agency, if there are certain
topics within the agencies that have not deployed in a while
and we have repeatedly been riding the same horse, so to speak.
We need to continue to look at that as well.
Mr. Payne. Thank you. Yes, I think you need to project into
the future based on 2021 that this is going to be the way it is
moving into the future with, you know, continual redeployments.
So you need to keep that in mind as you prepare for the future
that this might be the standard, the usual of what is going to
happen for the agency.
So, thank you, Madam Chair. With that, I will yield back.
Chairwoman Demings. The gentleman's time has expired. The
Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Higgins,
for 5 minutes.
Mr. Higgins. I thank my friend and colleague Chairwoman
Demings and Ranking Member Cammack. Thank you for holding
today's follow-up hearing.
When a natural disaster happens, whether it is a hurricane
or tornado, a winter storm, wild fire, the destruction is
immediately felt by the community, by the families that live
there, but these disasters often affect the country as well. As
the community looks to recover, one significant issue is
navigating the complexity of FEMA's disaster recovery programs.
Southwest Louisiana is no stranger to destructive storms and we
have vast experience. It is part of our culture working with
State and Federal agencies to recover.
Still, the overall message that I hear from the citizens
that I serve and the communities that I represent is quite
negative regarding FEMA and their interactions with FEMA. They
have delays in getting applications approved or lack of
customer service. You know, we all recognize that COVID was a
part of that, but it is still a reality we have to deal with.
Navigating FEMA's bureaucracy has been very much a challenge
for recovery for my State and the district that I serve.
While I appreciate FEMA putting together a Strategic Plan
to address staffing issues, I am concerned that there is too
much focus on issues like climate resilience while other needed
areas of reform go unaddressed. In my opinion, FEMA should
first hire the necessary staff to work through the backlog
casework in public assistance applications for disaster-related
reimbursements. Delays in this process are too frequent and can
be detrimental to the success of a community's recovery
mission.
I would like to mention to our witness here today, Mr.
Hooks, I have had some very positive interactions with FEMA, so
let me mention a compliment because it can work when we work
together.
On October 5 last year, I delivered a letter to Ms.
Criswell, your colleague, regarding some specific applications
that had been languishing, shall we say, in the bureaucracy.
Two days later, on October 7, we received a resolution for
those things and the official announcement resolving those
issues. So, I am going to ask for your help with this lady
again.
We have some specific issues. The Port of Lake Charles has
millions and millions of dollars, $40-, $50 million of recovery
projects that are hung up, specific projects. I am going to ask
our Chairlady to allow entry into the official record a letter
from the Port of Lake Charles referencing those pending and
languishing applications, and a letter from my office
officially requesting specific assistance, which, again, we
have had success with in the past with FEMA.
Chairwoman Demings. Without objection, so moved.
[The information follows:]
Letter From the Lake Charles Harbor & Terminal District
February 22, 2022.
The Honorable Clay Higgins,
U.S. House of Representatives, 424 Cannon House Office Building,
Washington, DC 20515.
Dear Congressman Higgins: The Port of Lake Charles would like to
provide an update on FEMA issues we have experienced while trying to
recover from the devasting effects of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane
Delta. Listed below are projects that have stalled in the FEMA review
process. Most of these projects were submitted to you earlier, but
unfortunately, we have made very little progress in resolving the
problems we are having with FEMA. Most of these problems reside in the
project review process at the Consolidated Resource Center (CRC) who
has been an absolute roadblock and made it extremely difficult to get
even the most basic of projects obligated. Below are three examples of
the difficulties we have encountered:
Project 163662--BT Ship Unloader No. 2--Konecranes/PAAP 428
The Port has decided not to replace this ship unloader at
this time. We have requested a Section 428 PAAP project
which will allow the Port to use the funds from this
unloader on other projects. The engineering firm hired by
the Port recommended throughout their report that the
unloader should be decommissioned due to the extensive
damage it received. It was not economically feasible to
even attempt a repair and the unloader was scrapped. FEMA
is now requesting an analysis to be completed on the cost
to repair the unloader versus the cost to replace it. This
FEMA 50 Percent Rule analysis would be impossible to
conduct on a one-of-a-kind, expensive piece of machinery,
especially since it has already been demolished and hauled
off. The future decisions made by FEMA on the ship loaders
and unloaders are the single largest threat to the
successful recovery of the Port of Lake Charles and the
surrounding economy.
Estimated amount of funding at stake: $30-$40 million
dollars.
Project 161512--Transit Shed 7
This building was damaged greater than 50 percent and
should be replaced. FEMA first delayed this project by
requiring a Consensus-Based Codes, Specifications, and
Standards (CBCSS) analysis be completed on this building
which wasn't required for the first year of this disaster.
After submitting the CBCSS, the 50 percent request was
approved by the CRC Validator at 74 percent damaged, as
well as approved by their Peer Reviewer. It was in
Mitigation when the project was ``called back'' because of
a possible request for information (RFI). The CRC RFI
requested that the cost of a slab be added to the estimate
and the 50 percent calculation equation. Even though the
slab was not a damaged element, and the Port was going to
reuse the existing slab for the new building, we added the
cost of a basic slab in order to move the project forward.
This reduced the 50 percent calculation from 74 percent
down to 62 percent. The CRC was still not satisfied with
the slab cost and is now trying to engineer how the Port
builds its structures. There seems to be a concerted effort
and intent to keep increasing the cost of a new building
which would cause the FEMA 50 Percent Rule calculation to
fall below 50 percent. This would mean that the Port would
not receive funding to replace a badly-damaged building.
Estimated amount of funding at stake: $3-$4 million
dollars.
Project 161516--City Docks Transit Shed 16
Project 161519--City Docks Transit Shed 17
The FEMA CRC has stalled these two projects for months.
The holdup has been that FEMA refuses to recognize that the
badly damaged roofs should be replaced in their entirety,
and not the piece-meal repair that they are pushing for.
The Port has submitted two engineering reports to FEMA that
clearly state that both roofs should be replaced to
maintain the structural integrity of the building. As a
public State entity, the Port is following the professional
guidance of the engineers and is replacing the roofs. This
will keep the buildings safe for their tenants as well as
to make certain that the buildings are insurable while
avoiding any liability issues should the roofs not be
replaced. FEMA has not done a physical site inspection on
either building even though the Port has requested multiple
times that they view the damaged buildings for themselves.
They instead conducted a ``virtual'' site inspection using
photographs. Although the FEMA site inspector stated that
the method of repair as replacement in the comments of the
site inspection report, the FEMA CRC has chosen to ignore
those comments as well as both engineer's reports. They
instead have referenced a google earth image taken from
approximately 450 miles above the earth. They have stated
that there doesn't ``appear'' to be enough damage to
justify replacing the entire roof.
Estimated amount of funding at stake: $6-$8 million
dollars.
We certainly appreciate any assistance you and your staff can
provide regarding these projects. Please feel free to contact me any
time to discuss them.
Yours Truly,
Richert L. Self,
Executive Director.
Mr. Higgins. Thank you, Chairwoman. The Port of Lake
Charles, if they can't recover, the economic recovery of the
entire region is impacted and, indeed, the Nation. Lake Charles
is the epicenter for energy export, for LNG, for the entire
Nation.
So, I ask for the indulgence of our witness today. I am
asking for the Consolidated Resource Center to take specific
action on these matters that will be delivered to your office
today. Deputy Administrator Hook, I very much appreciate you
being here today. I have enjoyed working with your boss,
Administrator Criswell. I really hope that we can resolve these
things. We must. The economic prosperity of the entire State
and, indeed, the Nation is impacted based upon our performance
here together.
You will be receiving my official questions for the record
in the next couple of days. I look forward to our staffs
working together. I very much appreciate Chairwoman Demings and
Ranking Member Cammack for holding today's hearing. I yield,
Madam Chair.
Chairwoman Demings. The gentleman yields back. The Chair
now recognizes the gentlewoman from New Jersey, Mrs. Watson
Coleman, for 5 minutes.
Mrs. Watson Coleman. Well, thank you, Chairwoman, for
bringing us together. Thank you to the Ranking Member and, of
course, to you, Mr. Hooks. I have got a number of questions. I
am probably going to run through them. You might want to write
them down.
First what I want to do is to bring attention to you a
letter that I sent to Ms. Criswell on February 14 on behalf of
all of the New Jersey delegation. We were asking, writing FEMA
to expedite its information to HUD, so that HUD could allocate
the money for the disasters which occurred in 2021. I would
like to know the status of that letter. I would like to know is
there a deficiency in staffing, even in the administration of
FEMA, that would somehow delay a response to a request as of
this nature.
I also would like unanimous consent, Madam Chair, to enter
this letter into the record.
Chairwoman Demings. Without objection, so ordered.
[The information follows:]
February 14, 2022.
Deanne Criswell,
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20472.
Dear Administrator Criswell: We write today regarding the status of
data the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) needs
from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in order to
allocate funding appropriated by Congress for communities impacted by
2021 disasters. We ask that you provide this data to HUD as
expeditiously as possible so that this funding can get to the people in
New Jersey and other States that desperately need it to recover from
the devastation of Hurricane Ida.
As you know, the Extending Government Funding and Delivering
Emergency Assistance Act passed by Congress and signed into law by
President Biden on September 30, 2021 appropriated $5 billion in CDBG-
DR/MIT funds for major disasters that occurred in 2020 and 2021. On
November 1, 2021, HUD announced the allocation of more than $2 billion
to States impacted by 2020 disasters. The remaining funds would be used
to address the unmet need from disasters that occurred in 2021, but
months later, funding has still not been allocated. It is our
understanding that HUD requires data from FEMA in order to calculate
the allocation to New Jersey and other States affected by Hurricane
Ida. We urge you to provide this data to HUD as soon as possible.
Many reconstruction and recovery efforts in New Jersey cannot
commence until HUD allocates this funding, and the months of delay have
had a deleterious impact on the families and communities in our State.
Many of our constituents were displaced when their homes were destroyed
by the storm, including hundreds living in public housing. Housing
shortages compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic have left many residents
in hotels and motels at Government expense to this day, with no
expectation of when they will be able to return to their homes. Under
any circumstances, this uncertainty would be difficult to bear, but
during the current pandemic, the impact is magnified. Moreover, with
each passing day, the mold and water damage to the impacted properties,
as well as the expense to mitigate the damage, only increases.
We appreciate all that FEMA has done already to help New Jersey
residents get back on their feet, but we need a better understanding of
when these calculations for relief awards will be completed. Thank you
for your prompt attention to this matter, and please do not hesitate to
contact our offices if you have questions or wish to discuss this
matter further.
Sincerely,
Cory A. Booker,
United States Senator
Robert Menendez,
United States Senator
Frank Pallone, Jr.,
Member of Congress
Tom Malinowski,
Member of Congress
Bonnie Watson Coleman,
Member of Congress
Donald Payne, Jr.,
Member of Congress
Josh Gottheimer,
Member of Congress
Mikie Sherrill,
Member of Congress
Donald Norcross,
Member of Congress
Albio Sires,
Member of Congress
Andy Kim,
Member of Congress
Bill Pascrell, Jr.,
Member of Congress.
Mrs. Watson Coleman. Thank you, ma'am.
I understand there is something like 22,000 positions
already in FEMA. I am interested in a couple of things.
No. 1 is I am interested in the kind of skills you are
looking for in who you are hiring and at what levels. No. 2, I
am looking to understand how you are approaching the better
numbers in diversity in leadership. Because the information
that I have suggested there is something like 71 percent of the
leadership in FEMA is White and male, and that certainly isn't
a reflection of, (A), the places in which there have been
multiple devastations, but, (B), our country as a whole. So, I
would like very much to understand what we are doing
specifically and how successful FEMA has been in greater
diversity.
The last thing I would like to understand is do you believe
that there is an assessment being done on streamlining your
process? Because sometimes people get very confused about how
to actually access resources, what resources they are entitled
to, et cetera.
Last, I am not sure how many questions you are going to be
able to answer, but I do want to say that I am also grateful to
FEMA because FEMA has stood in the gap in some very important
areas in New Jersey, and helped us through some very
devastating times.
So, while I ask these pointed questions, in no way, shape,
or form do I want you to think that I don't have an
appreciation and a respect for the work that you all do.
I don't know if you want to answer those questions later or
what.
Mr. Hooks. Well, it would be a combination of things, but,
again, thank you for your questions and thank you for your
unwavering support for our mission and our work force.
I don't have specific insight into the specific letter that
you have written to Administrator Criswell, but I will
certainly loop back in with her on that. I do expect that a
number of issues that we are working with HUD on the other
issues, I expect that resolution will come to bear soon.
Concerning diversity, overall FEMA's work force, it is
pretty diverse, but as you move up the ranks that diversity
wanes. There are certain levels in FEMA that do not have the
diversity that reflect the diversity that we would like to see,
you know, because it doesn't reflect the rich diversity of our
Nation.
Some of those positions are forward-facing in our disaster
response. So one of the areas that I have tasked specifically,
you know, many of our professional career is looking at what
are either some barriers that prevent or--women or minorities
from moving toward those forward-facing positions of authority
out in the public. What can we do to foster a better culture of
diversity?
Again, it is not enough for the agency lead to be a female
and for me to be a racial minority, but I have seen at the top
that the appointments and the hires made, appointments by the
President and the hires made by Administrator Criswell, is that
we have a very diverse leadership at the present time. But that
needs to transcend throughout the ranks and the middle has to
meet what we see at the very top and what we are bringing into
our work force.
Mrs. Watson Coleman. Thank you, Mr. Hooks. I would very
much like to know the specifics of that, the categories in
which you have the diversity, the categories in which you are
looking. I still very much would like to understand the kind of
skill sets you all are looking for in FEMA at every level just
as information so that I can be more helpful to you in the
future.
With that, I yield back. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Chairwoman Demings. The gentlewoman's time has expired. The
Chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from Iowa, Mrs. Miller-
Meeks, for 5 minutes.
Mrs. Miller-Meeks. Thank you very much, Madam Chair Demings
and Ranking Member Cammack. I thank you for bringing us
together for this important testimony.
Iowa is certainly, like Louisiana, as we heard from
Representative Higgins, is no stranger to natural disasters, be
they floods, be they tornados, be they derechos. We have
certainly had our share of those. I appreciate the comments and
the questions in addressing the work force in FEMA and
workplace shortages and labor shortages that you have
available. Then also, the diversity of talent that is
necessary.
One of the other things that we do in Homeland Security is
cybersecurity. We address cybersecurity. We certainly have had
many hearings on that in the past year, this legislative
session. We have seen cybersecurity attacks with the Colonial
Pipeline, which tremendously affected the Eastern Seaboard, and
we have also seen the JBS attacks, which affected my own region
as I have meat producers within my Congressional district.
So, I think, increasingly, the public both on a personal
level for their own security of their own financial records and
on a National security level are very interested in
cybersecurity. In your testimony you highlighted the importance
of having professionals who can facilitate data and information
sharing within FEMA's IT infrastructure. The fiscal year 2022
President's budget request includes an increase of 20
positions, 10 full-time employees, and $26.7 million to support
FEMA's cybersecurity program.
Given the past issues FEMA has had with safeguarding
personal information, what specific initiatives will FEMA be
focusing on and how is FEMA working with other DHS components
to strengthen its IT work force? Do you have the facility to
hire the types of people with the expertise that are needed?
Mr. Hooks. Thank you, Madam Representative, and thank you
for the question. A very poignant and timely question at this
time in our history.
You know, we have often been saying that cyber threats are
emerging threats. My view is that it is no longer an emerging
threat. It is a persistent threat and one that impacts both
Government and non-Government and civilians alike.
We are pleased to see the positions being made available
through the offering of the budget. There has been a greater
emphasis within our own IT infrastructure division to improve
cybersecurity. We want to make sure that we protect our systems
and we also need to double down and protect the ability to
protect personal identifiable information for those impacted,
for disaster survivors because we don't want them victimized a
second time.
We are working very closely with CISA, who is a sister
agency within the Department of Homeland Security, and
following all those advisements that CISA leads on to make us a
more protected and resilient Nation. That also applies to us
because we can't effectively deliver on our mission if we have
gaps that make us vulnerable to the many threats that are out
there, be it from individuals, criminal organizations, or
nation-states. So that is something I am very mindful of with
my history as the State homeland security advisor in North
Carolina. That is something that we talk with all our State
partners about and it is an emphasis of our grant programs
moving forward as proscribed by the Secretary for our homeland
security grants.
So we are very mindful and take long systems in
promulgating that idea to our local and territorial partners.
Mrs. Miller-Meeks. Do you believe that your hiring
processes will permit you to hire the individuals with the
expertise needed in a timely fashion or are there barriers that
we need to consider modifying?
Mr. Hooks. The barrier is always competing against the
private sector because they face these challenges as well. So
issues of compensation and all of those things, those are
sometimes things that are out of FEMA's direct hands. But what
I can have a direct impact on is that people see this as an
opportunity to serve our Nation in a mighty way that goes above
and beyond salary considerations, so that they are a part of
something larger in our FEMA mission and, again, in a workplace
where they would be valued and they know that their
contributions are lending toward a safer America. But
compensation helps.
Mrs. Miller-Meeks. Thank you very much. I thank you for
your diligence in both protecting the system and people's
personal information.
So, thank you, Chair Demings. I yield back my time.
Chairwoman Demings. The gentlewoman yields back. The Chair
now recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas, Ms. Jackson Lee, for
5 minutes.
Ms. Jackson Lee. My pleasure to have the opportunity, Madam
Chair. Thank you so very much.
Chairwoman Demings. Members are reminded to please mute
your microphones. Please mute.
Ms. Jackson Lee. So to be on this hearing to discuss with
the deputy administrator the importance of recruitment,
training, and retention.
First, I would like to say, Deputy Administrator Hooks,
that being in a targeted disaster region, certainly the region
is not a disaster because of the wonderful people, but it is
because we are subject to natural disasters really almost on an
annual basis. So we have ourselves interacted with those
persons that have FEMA, most of them, I understand, temporary
employees.
I do want to say that they have come energetic, with a
great desire to be helpful and with a great deal of passion. I
am reminded of Hurricane Harvey when they literally had to be
with us for months and Hurricane Katrina when we moved a
quarter of a million people out of Louisiana, in particular New
Orleans, and they came to the Houston/Harris County area. They
literally had to be with us for a number of years, so I
appreciate the work that is being done.
I am going to pose my question along the lines of
legislation that I am introducing or have introduced. With a
nod to the Chairwoman I am hoping that we will have an
opportunity for a hearing dealing with H.R. 3060, the FEMA
Modernization Act, where we are looking at--a number of members
are looking at some of these issues: Improving the Fast
Response Office; having ombudsmen; establishing a new natural
disaster medical triage capacity; establishing a program to
provide education and job training; provide for accurate
reporting on deaths and missing persons; and collecting data.
I say that to say that that means an increase in FEMA
staffing, employees of many different skills. So, let me start
by your thoughts about developing a permanent staff that deals
with disasters. My understanding is that they are recruited for
each disaster, so I am interested in your thoughts about that.
Then I am also interested in your staffing of individuals
that are able to deal with the multigenerational population and
multilingual population that come upon during disasters. Would
you start with that, Administrator Hooks?
Mr. Hooks. Yes, ma'am. Thank you for your time and
attention to the many issues that face FEMA. I am certainly
aware that FEMA staff upon my arrival here have been educated
in the vein that they were working----
Ms. Jackson Lee. Staff being----
Mr. Hooks [continuing]. With your staff on potential
legislation. We are committed to continue to work with your
staff and you and any member of staff to advance the
modernization of FEMA.
I have seen in my brief time here a number of staff that
have moved from being a local hire to being--to move on into a
full-time career. That is when I talked earlier of creating
that pipeline, we need to create that pipeline of local
community hires that are vested in those communities, that
understand those communities, and that is one of those
pipelines, where you have to make those investments in those
skills and abilities. Because FEMA does have a large mission
set, and so those may be intake, those may be planning, and all
those. So there are a number of variety of skills that need to
be taught to new hires, so that they can avail themselves to
full-time employment with FEMA. So we do have vacancies and we
try to fill them that way.
Our outreach to technical and community colleges, as
described by the Ranking Member, and I promise to get her some
more additional information about what specifics FEMA is doing
with that is similarly important as well as our outreach to
HBCUs. Because as we reach those organizations that have a
mind's eye on serving underserved communities, we can more
greatly impact our Nation.
Again, they come with a variety of skill sets. Sometimes
they have a skill set or hard skills about learning how to use
the various systems, but they can also be soft skills on how to
communicate with the public. You know, having I wouldn't
necessarily call it a skill, but a heart for people and empathy
and to meet people where they are.
Also, all of this flows together, none of it works in a
vacuum, is that we have to tie this into our readiness cycle,
so that people know that if I go to FEMA that, yes, I can and
am subject to be employed, but there will be times for rest and
restoration. So we are making assessments on their readiness.
We are making assessments to support them for their mental and
physical health, so that they can continue to support the
communities that we must reach all across the country.
Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you. There was another question,
Madam Chair, but I don't know whether he heard the question on
intergenerational staffing to work with people of all ages.
Mr. Hooks. Madam Chair? I am not able to hear the
Chairwoman.
Ms. Jackson Lee. Madam Chair? We are not hearing you.
Chairwoman Demings. I am sorry. Can you hear me now?
Ms. Jackson Lee. Yes.
Chairwoman Demings. OK. I would ask that the deputy
administrator please submit the answer to Ms. Jackson Lee's
question in writing.
The Chair now recognizes----
Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you.
Chairwoman Demings [continuing]. The gentleman from--thank
you. The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from New York, Mr.
Garbarino, for 5 minutes.
Mr. Garbarino. Thank you, Chairwoman. Thank you to the
witness for coming here today.
I have a follow-up question with what my colleague from
Iowa was asking regarding cybersecurity. We talked about what
FEMA was doing for its cyber programs. But Chairwoman Clarke
and I just recently passed a State and local cybersecurity
grant program which, when implemented, it is about a billion
dollars. We got it signed into law. It is imperative,
increasing resilience in our communities, especially in the
light of recent attacks from Russia and other foreign
adversaries.
FEMA is supposed to work closely with CISA in the
implementation of this bill. Do you believe FEMA has the work
force, the appropriate adequate personnel needed to implement
this program? You know, how can we be more helpful in any
coordination between FEMA and CISA in ensuring that this grant
program runs pretty smoothly?
Mr. Hooks. Thank you, sir. I certainly appreciate the
question, Mr. Representative.
The Homeland Security grant and cyber grants in particular
are extremely helpful to our State, territorial, and local
partners. The administration of those grants is critically
important in that we adequately communicate to our local
partners. We are well-postured and currently working diligently
with CISA on those very issues and the administration of those
grants.
Under the common authority of the Secretary of Homeland
Security, both agencies are committed to delivering for our
Nation on those grants as well because we certainly understand
the importance. There are many communities that simply cannot
fortify their own cybersecurity posture without that life-
sustaining funding for those grants. So I am deeply
appreciative.
We do have the staff to execute upon those grant priorities
as well. The communities are certainly in need and I am sure
they are certainly--will be certainly appreciative of those
funding dollars getting down to those communities to help them
with their cybersecurity.
Mr. Garbarino. I appreciate that answer. Thank you very
much. Again, if we can be any more helpful in making sure that
this program and any other programs with cyber runs more
smoothly, please let us know.
On a separate note, in your testimony you discussed the
role that FEMA plays in strengthening the emergency management
work force across the country. My district, Long Island,
suffered immensely from Superstorm Sandy almost 10 years ago
and many--and it is sad to say this, but many are still
rebuilding their homes and businesses, you know, we still
haven't even fixed half the roads. As hurricane seasons
continue to batter the communities year after year, can you
discuss what specific ways FEMA is helping emergency management
teams at the State and local level to help increase resilience
to mitigate the impacts of future storms like Sandy?
Mr. Hooks. Yes, sir. One of the seminal ways that FEMA can
be of assistance beyond just the transmission of funding is
being well-partnered and understanding those communities. FEMA
has engaged over the last few years what we call the FIT
program, FEMA Integration program, where we have FEMA employees
embedded with State emergency managers all across the country
to help better understand their needs. We listen to those State
directors and that is an on-going process of what they need to
help augment, not supplant, but augment, their ability to
mitigate disasters before they start.
We certainly recognize that an investment on the front end
of $1 will save $6 on the back end. So we lean in heavily
toward those hazard mitigation investments on the front end and
maintain healthy and robust partnerships is our fervent
endeavor throughout the entire process and, again, coming back
to FEMA's mission to helping people before, during, and after
the storm. So we have that three-tiered mission that requires
us to be there with our partners on blue-sky days, in the
planning and the execution and anticipation of a storm, the
storm response, and the recovery. I understand that the
recovery sometimes can be extremely frustrating because it
never can come soon enough for disaster survivors. You know
that in New Jersey. I knew that in North Carolina. I am
thankful that the entire committee is concerned with it.
Mr. Garbarino. Thank you very much. Chairwoman, I yield
back.
Chairwoman Demings. The gentleman yields back. The Chair
now recognizes the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Green, for 5
minutes.
Mr. Green. Thank you, Madam Chair. Am I audible?
Chairwoman Demings. Yes, you are.
Mr. Green. OK, thank you much. I thank the administrator
for appearing today. I greatly appreciate this opportunity
because there are many things that are of concern to me, so I
will move as expeditiously as possible.
Let us start with linguistics. I have one of the most
diverse districts in the country. We have the ballot printed in
4 languages: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese. When we
have these unfortunate circumstances, let us call them acts of
God, I think legally they are called that in many circles, when
we have these acts of God, we oftentimes find ourselves with
people coming to our office who want help, but they don't seem
to be able to have someone to help them in a language that they
are familiar with. We have to find people sometimes to assist.
But what do you do or how do we help you with the
linguistics aspects of this, please?
Mr. Hooks. Well, thank you, Representative. Certainly an
important area that we must discuss because if we can't
effectively communicate with the people in need, we can't
effectively deliver the programs to the people that oftentimes
need them the most and who have been impacted the most.
I would say that overall, as we look at the diversity of
FEMA, that nearly 13 percent of our staff speak Spanish. So, we
have to be smart about our deployment so that we really
understand those communities of deployment, so that we deploy
the sufficient number of Spanish-speaking and culturally
competent individuals to deal with those particular unique
needs. Actually, the 13 percent is in line with the percentage
of U.S. population, but understanding that you are talking
about a more concentrated population in the areas that you so
nobly serve.
At our Disaster Recovery Centers, we have translators
available not just for Spanish, but for a number of languages,
including sign language. If you don't have someone on-site that
is well-versed in a particular language, we are able to set up
a virtual call to be able to better communicate with them. You
know, if COVID has presented any one positive, save for the
technical difficulties we have had today, we have learned to
utilize the virtual platforms for greater engagement. So we
will continue to actually pick up lessons learned through
tragedies and providing virtual platforms and communications
and translations for disaster survivors.
Mr. Green. Mr. Deputy Director, if I may, I greatly
appreciate your answer. I have two other areas that I would
like to get into, so let me move quickly and simply ask this
question. When you are in need in a given area of persons to
work on a given disaster, how can I impact that process by
recommending people, helping you to apply personnel from the
area who will understand not only the language, but they know a
little bit about the geography? There may be other things that
they will know that you just don't get by having a person who
speaks the language. So, is there a way for us to help you with
that? If there is, could you tell me quickly because I have two
other areas?
Mr. Hooks. Yes, sir. Probably the best way, the most
expedient way is to ensure that the State and local emergency
management knows what those local resources are because they
will be in tune with the entire community and can relate that
to us.
Mr. Green. All right. Thank you very much. Let us talk
quickly about signing bonuses. I was at an event just recently
with another member of the administration and it was a great
event. We had people who actually work for the Government
explaining some of the problems that they are having in terms
of recruitment. Apparently, at Houston, there are signing
bonuses being given to persons in a given area in the private
sector. The public sector can't match those signing bonuses. Is
there something that we can do to help you there?
I understand loyalty to country and persons want to be of
help, but those signing bonuses are quite appealing, Mr.
Administrator. I am just curious as to is there something we
can do to help you with that?
Mr. Hooks. Yes, sir. We are totally reliant upon the
appropriations that are allotted to us from----
Mr. Green. Something has happened to the quality of your
voice. I can't hear you.
Mr. Hooks. All right I am sorry for the technical
difficulties, but we are reliant upon Congressional approval
and Congressional authorities. So any discussion that you would
have that would help benefit us in attracting a greater work
force, and that includes compensation, we will welcome those
discussions.
Mr. Green. OK. I have 2 seconds, 1 second, and I won't get
to my last topic. I will ask that I be permitted to send
something to you in writing. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Chairwoman Demings. The gentleman yields back. With that, I
want to thank the deputy administrator for his valuable
testimony. I want to thank the Members for their questions.
The Members of the subcommittee may have additional
questions and I know that you do for the witness. We ask that
you respond expeditiously in writing to those questions.
The Chair reminds Members that the committee record will
remain open for 10 business days.
Without objection, the subcommittee stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:20 a.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
----------
Questions From Chairwoman Val Demings for Erik A. Hooks
Question 1. In January, the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
testified before the subcommittee that staffing shortages in FEMA's
contracting workforce have exacerbated challenges the agency already
faces in disaster response and recovery. Post-disaster contracts are a
key part of the recovery process and can sometimes last for years after
the disaster occurs. FEMA needs to have a permanent, full-time
workforce of contracting officials to manage these contracts and ensure
the billions of dollars allocated to disaster recovery are spent
properly. According to GAO, 8 of FEMA's 10 regional offices, only have
1 full-time permanent contracting official. What is FEMA's plan to
increase contracting staff across its regional offices?
Answer. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues to
focus on the mission-essential requirements of hiring the highest level
of talent within the acquisition community to populate our workforce of
contracting professionals. During the past year, FEMA's Office of the
Chief Component Procurement Officer (OCCPO) established a hiring and
retention team with objectives of recruiting talent, retaining talent,
and assessing the work environment to assure that it is most conducive
to producing opportunities for professional growth and mission success.
OCCPO has been filling vacancies on a continuous basis and has improved
its attrition rate from 8 percent to 5 percent within the last year
since starting the hiring and retention team in late 2020. FEMA's chief
component procurement officer (CCPO) has also implemented a mission-
focused process that allows the entire organization of contracting
personnel to be utilized across all branches of the organization, as
well as contracting personnel in the Regions, to accomplish mission-
essential needs during steady-state, disasters, and emergencies. As it
is the responsibility of the CCPO to ensure successful execution of
contracts in the face of emergencies, disaster response, disaster
recovery, and post-disaster across the agency, the aforementioned
approach delivers the ability to manage multiple contingency situations
simultaneously regardless of the duty location of such staff. FEMA's
CCPO has placed heavy emphasis on increasing the level of technical
proficiency within the agency's contracting workforce, the number of
personnel, and the level of engagement with all 10 regional
administrators to provide proper oversight and stewardship of
taxpayers' dollars and execute the agency's mission.
Question 2a. FEMA is responding to more disasters and crises while
still maintaining past emergency management practices. In the January
hearing, Former Administrator Craig Fugate noted that FEMA's disaster
recovery operations can take decades to finish, which is concerning
given that FEMA has a history of operating in a workforce deficit.
What updates is FEMA considering to its disaster recovery model to
make the agency more efficient, given workforce constraints?
Question 2b. How is FEMA leveraging technology to address disaster
recovery operations, ensure efficiency of the existing available
workforce, and prevent future workforce deficit?
Question 2c. What specific steps or supports are needed to complete
long-standing disaster recovery operations, which would allow FEMA
staff to transition to more recent and future disasters?
Answer. As climate change increases the frequency and severity of
natural disasters, and with new and emergent threats such as COVID-19,
FEMA has had to flex our approach to maintain our ability to execute
our mission. FEMA constantly evaluates and adjusts our workforce
strength, training, and composition to be better-positioned to help
people before, during, and after disasters.
FEMA is taking specific actions to maximize resources and ensure
that our processes and technology make recovery as simple as possible.
First, we have looked to centralize technical and administrative
resources to be able to support multiple ongoing disasters
concurrently. For example, our Consolidated Resource Centers (CRCs)
enabled us to support COVID-19 disaster declarations in every State and
territory and all Tribal nations with disaster declarations
simultaneously. Second, we constantly review and improve our processes
and technology to enable State, local, Tribal, and territorial
governments to drive their own recoveries and navigate our process.
Third, we are in the process of assessing the delivery of the Public
Assistance (PA) program and CRC processes to look for additional
opportunities to simplify the program for applicants.
We also focus deliberately on the training and professional
development of our workforce to set our staff up for success in helping
individuals and communities recover. In addition to standard, position-
specific training, we have worked to implement leadership growth and
development programs. For example, the Public Assistance Professional
Development Academy consists of 120 hours of interactive training that
enhances the programmatic knowledge, customer service, quality control
measures, and leadership traits required for successful program
delivery.
FEMA is also reviewing and adjusting its force structure,
regionally and Nationally, to ensure FEMA has the necessary personnel
to better support the execution of the PA program from declaration of
an emergency or disaster to the completion of recovery operations for
all impacted communities. This will allow the agency to plan for and
provide the appropriate staffing support for all phases of recovery
while also maintaining a ready workforce to execute future events. This
also includes recruiting new employees and filling vacant positions
that support long-term recovery operations, particularly positions in
the appeals and audits sections where closing disasters can see
significant delays.
Question 3a. Last month, the subcommittee held a hearing with
stakeholders from the American Jewish community about how crucial the
Nonprofit Security Grant Program is for bolstering security for their
houses of worship and other religious communities. However, during the
hearing witnesses described how smaller synagogues and other religious
communities had difficulty applying to the program.
As we are nearing a new grant cycle, is FEMA considering providing
additional outreach for houses of worship given the recent rise of
threats against houses of worship?
Question 3b. Given the recent spate of bomb threats against
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), what outreach has
FEMA conducted to ensure colleges and universities are aware of their
eligibility for the Nonprofit Security Grant program?
Answer. As part of our on-going efforts to ensure that all
nonprofit organizations in need of security resources have access to
this funding, and in support of Executive Order 13985: Advancing Racial
Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal
Government, FEMA is conducting extensive outreach to underserved and
marginalized communities to provide information and technical
assistance in preparation for the upcoming fiscal year 2022 application
period.
A Technical Assistance Webinar Series began on February 18,
2022, and will run through April 1, 2022, to provide nonprofit
organizations information on what they can do now in
anticipation of the fiscal year 2022 Nonprofit Security Grant
Program (NSGP) application cycle opening this spring.
Additional Technical Assistance Webinars will be scheduled and
delivered throughout the open application period.
FEMA has led or participated in over 37 virtual outreach
sessions focused on the nonprofit community, underserved
communities, and vulnerable populations in preparation for the
fiscal year 2022 grants cycle:
Seventeen of these were FEMA-hosted events, and 20 events
were hosted or co-hosted by other Federal partners,
including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the DHS Center
for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and the U.S.
Department of Justice (DOJ).
These sessions have reached over 7,800 individual
participants representing over 2,700 associations/
organizations as of March 15, 2022.
FEMA has been proactively engaging with and has completed
specific outreach sessions, technical assistance webinars, and
information-sharing events with the Jewish Federation of North
America, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU),
and the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Additional
follow-on events have also been scheduled with the Jewish
Federation of North America and the Faith-Based Information
Sharing and Analysis Organization in late March and early
April.
To expand NSGP information access even more broadly, FEMA
has partnered with the DHS Center for Faith-Based and
Neighborhood Partnerships to distribute NSGP materials (fact
sheets, Federal resource links, outreach slides, etc.) to over
63,000 individuals through their National inter-faith
distribution list.
In partnership with the DOJ Community Relations Service,
FEMA also provided an overview of the NSGP during 4 Protecting
Places of Worship Forums, reaching faith leaders within the
Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Baptist, and interfaith
communities.
Finally, to provide additional customer service capability
for nonprofit organizations and houses of worship stakeholders,
FEMA created a NSGP-specific email inbox (FEMA-
NSGP@fema.dhs.gov) used to address stakeholder questions and
disseminate information.
Since its establishment, there have been over 4,000 email
transactions, with an average of 50-80 transactions per
week.
Question 4a. The Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) and the
State Homeland Security Grant Program have proven invaluable in
protecting our communities from terrorism. While the Biden
administration is doing a better job of communicating with stakeholders
about changes to the National priority areas compared to the previous
administration, we continue to hear applicants' concerns about meeting
the requirements and the effectiveness of the National priority areas.
Can you describe some of the steps that FEMA has taken to conduct
additional outreach and engagement with stakeholders on the National
priority areas for the fiscal year 2022 application period?
Question 4b. Please describe how is FEMA considering stakeholder
feedback on the effectiveness of the National priority areas?
Answer. FEMA held a series of 12 listening sessions with a variety
of stakeholders in April and May 2021 to collect feedback on the
preparedness grant programs and National Priority Areas (NPAs). Through
these listening sessions, we learned that participants were supportive
of NPAs but desired greater flexibility in how grant funding could be
allocated across them. FEMA used this feedback to help inform priority
and policy recommendations made to the DHS Secretary for the fiscal
year 2022 programs. Our fiscal year 2022 guidance continues to require
a minimum 30 percent spend on the NPAs. This year grant recipients can
allocate 18 percent of the required spend across the NPAs in a way that
aligns with their jurisdiction's specific needs and gaps rather than
DHS prescribing a required spend for all 30 percent of this
requirement.
In addition to the above feedback sessions, FEMA facilitated a
discussion between grant recipients and a panel of subject-matter
experts to:
Explain what they considered effective project examples and
the type of information they looked for during their reviews of
NPA projects;
Discuss resources available to assist applicants and
recipients with developing projects under each NPA; and
Hold an open question-and-answer session with stakeholders.
FEMA provided a summary of the panel discussion and resource links
were provided to our stakeholders in January 2022.
With the recent passage of the fiscal year 2022 Omnibus, and the
DHS Secretary's final decisions on fiscal year 2022 program changes,
FEMA held outreach calls with stakeholders the week of March 28 to
provide an overview of the approved changes in advance of the Notice of
Funding Opportunity release. This will ensure applicants can have as
much time as possible to prepare before the application period
officially opens this spring. On April 6, FEMA also provided the
Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) key changes, frequently asked
questions, and fact sheet documents to help applicants get started on
developing their projects.
In addition, FEMA is currently hosting a series of webinars
featuring subject-matter experts across the Department to focus on each
of the fiscal year 2022 NPAs. These webinars are providing an in-depth
review of:
Specific DHS areas of concern and how each of the fiscal
year 2022 NPAs was determined,
How to use HSGP funding to effectively develop projects for
these NPAs,
Additional resources available from across DHS specific to
these NPAs.
Question 5. In your testimony, you state ``In alignment with our
Strategic Plan, FEMA is working to recruit individuals from
underrepresented communities including through partnering with
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the American
Indian Higher Education Consortium of Tribal Colleges and Universities
to create hiring pipelines into the field of emergency management.''
Please provide additional details on your plan to liaise with HBCUs
and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), including which schools
FEMA plans to partner, the frequency of contact with schools, and
efforts to liaise with small- and medium-sized institutions.
Answer. Regarding HBCU and other Minority Serving Institutions
(MSI) recruitment and outreach, the FEMA recruitment team is currently
working with the HBCU Emergency Management Workforce Consortium. The
HBCU Consortium consists of administrators, researchers, and professors
from various HBCUs with the goal to implement Emergency Management
Community Emergency Response Team training and experience on HBCU
Campuses. Howard University is leading this initiative. HBCUs involved
include:
Howard University,
Grambling State University,
Florida A&M University,
Morris Brown College,
Jackson State University,
Elizbeth City State University,
Winston Salem State University, and
Dillard University.
We expect additional HBCUs to join in the future. The Consortium
meets monthly, and this engagement allows the FEMA recruitment team to
expand outreach to the HBCUs involved.
FEMA's recruitment team has also partnered with DHS to deliver
HBCU-focused student webinars and career fairs. It is currently
collaborating with Rutgers University's Minority Serving Institution
Research Center (which has outreach to over 700 MSIs) to host a FEMA
webinar with the goal to increase outreach to more MSIs across the
Nation.
The recruitment team has attended various HBCU- and other MSI-
hosted/focused careers fairs (e.g., Atlanta University Consortium,
White House Initiative on HBCUs, HSI Career Collaborative Career Fair).
We also utilize Handshake, the No. 1 on-line job board used by
employers to advertise job opportunities to students and alumni to
target HBCUs and other MSIs to advertise positions and virtual
informational sessions.
In addition, in coordination with the American Indian Higher
Education Consortium, FEMA is planning to increase outreach and
recruitment to Tribal Institutions and host virtual webinars, advertise
job and student opportunities, and build relationships with Tribal
Colleges and Universities and relate Tribal organizations. FEMA is also
currently posting job opportunities on NativeHire.org, an on-line job
board platform that focuses on Native American job seekers.
Questions From Honorable Clay Higgins for Erik A. Hooks
Question 1. Local individuals and companies are often the best
contractors in disaster response since they are also affected by the
catastrophe at hand. Would you agree with this assessment? How has FEMA
made an effort to work locally and with small businesses? Do you
believe there needs to be a stronger effort to do so? Shouldn't this be
especially true for HUB zones?
Answer. FEMA agrees that local companies are often great sources
for essential supplies and services during disaster response and
recovery operations. However, when responding to disasters, experience
has demonstrated that FEMA's use of advance contracts is the most
effective approach to managing the immediate and critical need to
stabilize a disaster area in a manner that prevents further loss of
life and property damage. Advance contracts also provide the capability
for FEMA to rapidly deliver goods or services to support emergency
response and recovery efforts for all survivors, including local
vendors and contractors, within the impacted area.
When it is most practicable, FEMA transitions to local contractors
with the intent to stimulate the local economy of the impacted area.
The Stafford Act ensures local businesses are given preference during
emergencies and provides for local area set-asides to ensure that local
contractors in disaster areas are given preferences to Federal
contracts in response to a major disaster or emergency. FEMA's OCCPO is
committed to using local firms in disaster areas to the maximum extent
practicable as set forth in FAR 26.204, and 42 U.S.C. 5150(b)(1).
Additionally, OCCPO continuously conducts market research and hosts
vendor engagements within the small business community to proactively
identify responsible contractors to support the FEMA mission, also
helping to ensure FEMA meets DHS's small business goals annually.
FEMA works diligently with its internal and external stakeholders
to ensure procurement opportunities are available for members of
underserved communities, including HUBZones, to the maximum extent
practical by providing outreach, training, and resources on how to do
business with the Federal Government. For example, FEMA's Industry
Liaison Program, in collaboration with contracting personnel from each
Region, meets proactively and regularly with Minority Business
Development Councils, the Association of Procurement Technical
Assistance Centers, and local Small Business Administration Offices to
increase knowledge of FEMA programs and opportunities in the local area
and future requirements.
Question 2. Crosby Government Solutions, located in Houma, LA was
contracted to conduct emergency response following Hurricane Ida. Some
of their workers, themselves, were displaced due to this disaster.
Their compassion and first-hand experience of the tragedy meant they
went above and beyond for those they were servicing. Do you believe
utilizing local contractors allows for a better response for
individuals needs when an emergency occurs?
Answer. FEMA is committed to utilizing local firms within the
disaster area during the response and recovery phases of the disaster
to the greatest extent practicable. FEMA is also focused on stabilizing
the disaster area as quickly as possible to prevent further loss of
life and property damage, and the proven solution to doing so is the
immediate use of advance contracts at the onset of the disaster,
followed by a transition to local firms as soon as feasible after
stabilization. FEMA has a requirement within all contracts awarded to
large businesses to meet a set of small business goals specific to that
contract. The FEMA small business subcontracting goal for this year is
43 percent, a goal that has increased over the years and which FEMA
continues to meet and exceed each year since fiscal year 2017.
Prior to the start of the annual hurricane season, FEMA's CCPO
meets with advance contract holders to discuss, among other things,
small business goals. This is done to ensure the agency proactively
engages and assists current contractors to continuously develop
relationships with other small businesses contractors that provide
goods and services in disaster-prone areas as a subcontractor. This
approach benefits the small business community, as mission execution
gained as a subcontractor increases the small business's technical
experience and past performance history for future contracting
opportunities as a prime vendor. In addition, the Stafford Act ensures
local businesses are given preference during emergencies and provides
for local area set-asides to ensure that responsible contractors in
disaster areas are given preferences to Federal contracts in response
to a major disaster or emergency. FEMA is committed to utilizing local
firms in disaster areas to the maximum extent practicable as set forth
in Federal Acquisition Regulation 26.204 and 42 U.S.C. 5150(b)(1).
Question 3. The people of Louisiana were hit by 18 months of
unprecedented disasters. Severe flooding and subsequent wind damage
caused by Hurricanes Laura, Marco, Delta, Zeta, and Ida caused nearly
$150 billion in damages to our State. Congress responded by providing
$5 billion in disaster relief aid through the Community Development
Block Grant Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) program administered by the
Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUD). It is my understanding
that nearly $3 billion of the $5 billion allocated for disaster relief
for Hurricanes Laura, Delta, and Ida is sitting untouched at HUD due to
an expired data sharing agreement between HUD and FEMA. Specifically,
FEMA has been unable to share damage assessments with HUD that would
allow HUD to make determinations for funding deployment. Can FEMA work
with HUD to quickly forge a data-sharing agreement between the two
agencies?
Answer. FEMA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) resumed full data-sharing capability following the
approval of an improved, compliant Computer Matching Agreement (CMA) on
March 14, 2022. The HUD-FEMA CMA cited 3 primary purposes for sharing
data.
1. To transition HUD housing recipients whose HUD homes are
uninhabitable due to a declared disaster or emergency with
Individual Assistance authorized from emergency sheltering or
FEMA housing assistance back into HUD-assisted housing. FEMA
will quickly and efficiently match pre-disaster HUD housing
program recipients with emergency sheltering or housing
assistance recipients. Matching allows for early coordination
between FEMA and HUD regarding HUD clients who are receiving
emergency sheltering or FEMA housing assistance. The goal is to
identify HUD housing program recipients participating in FEMA
programs and return them to HUD housing assistance while also
preventing duplication of individual benefits.
2. To develop the funding formulas to request additional
appropriations from Congress and allocate funding for Community
Development Block Grant Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) grant awards.
Data associated with this Agreement will be used by HUD to
calculate the amount of HUD's CDBG-DR grants, which are based
on the number of unmet needs for the disaster. HUD performs a
complex grants formulation process using personally
identifiable information data from FEMA and the Small Business
Administration to generate its CDBG-DR grant allocations and
figures estimating unmet disaster needs for the Office of
Management and Budget and Congress.
a. After calculating allocations for CDBG-DR grant awards, HUD will
enter a data-sharing agreement with CDBG-DR grantees and
provide a subset of the data used for making the allocation
to the applicable CDBG-DR grantee so the CDBG-DR grantee
can do planning and market the use of grant funds. These
data are not used for determination of benefits.
3. To support duplication of benefits checks conducted by CDBG-DR
grantees for CDBG-DR grant-funded programs, HUD will request
data from FEMA on an as-needed basis to share with CDBG-DR
grantees. HUD's data request will be based on the specific
program requirements specified in an approved CDBG-DR Grantee
Action Plan, such as data for all survivors meeting specific
criteria related to tenure, geographic area, and type of FEMA
benefit receipt. The data will be provided to facilitate
expedited program implementation while preventing the
duplication of benefits already received from FEMA. All data
sharing from HUD to CDBG-DR grantees will occur in accordance
with agreements between HUD and the CDBG-DR grantees that
address requirements related to the use and protection of the
data. FEMA will support HUD by providing data analysis and FEMA
assistance data to HUD.
As cited in purposes 2 and 3, Louisiana is now eligible to receive
FEMA data per the data-sharing agreements established directly with
HUD. In accordance with purpose 2, HUD requested data pursuant to the
tenets of the approved CMA, and FEMA generated datasets in accordance
with the needs of Louisiana and the data-sharing components of the HUD
CMA. As a result of this process, HUD announced CDBG-DR allocations on
March 22, 2022 for the remaining $3 billion of the total $5 billion
appropriated in Pub. L. 117-43. In accordance with purpose 3, FEMA will
provide the datasets to HUD who, in turn, will provide the datasets to
Louisiana.