[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 111 (Thursday, September 8, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1807]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    INTRODUCING A BILL ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL INDEPENDENT INQUIRY 
            COMMISSION ON DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 8, 2005

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce 
legislation establishing a National Independent Inquiry Commission on 
Disaster Preparedness and Response (NIICDPR) to examine and evaluate 
the Federal Government's response to Hurricane Katrina and assess our 
ability to respond to future large-scale disasters.
  While the long-term impact of Hurricane Katrina will be felt for 
years, our evaluation of the Federal Government's response to, and 
preparation for, this and other major disasters--natural and man-made--
must begin immediately.
  Mirrored after the 9-11 Commission, the NIICDPR will consist of 10 
members with no more than 5 being from either the Republican or 
Democratic parties, thus ensuring an independent and diverse make-up of 
commission members. The NIICDPR will be afforded the same powers which 
the 9-11 Commission enjoyed and will be tasked at finding the answers 
to the critical questions that we all have. These include but are not 
limited to:
  Were we adequately prepared to respond to a disaster of this 
magnitude? Are we any more prepared today than we were before Katrina?
  What plans were in place before Katrina made landfall to meet power, 
utility, and telecommunications needs following the storm? What plans 
are in place for future disasters?
  What was the availability of adequate resources to meet the needs of 
displaced individuals and families, including temporary housing, 
medical services and facilities, transportation, and food and water 
supplies?
  Did our federal disaster response plans consider the needs of all 
communities? What plans existed to ensure that underserved communities 
reached safety before and after Katrina?
  How effective was the Federal Government in its rescue and other 
life-saving techniques?
  Was the federal response to Hurricane Katrina efficiently coordinated 
with State and local governments? Was it adequate and appropriate in 
size and scope?
  What improvements do the Executive and Legislative Branches need to 
make to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our disaster 
response programs?
  Mr. Speaker, my Congressional District received the brunt of three 
major hurricanes last year. As I said earlier today, certainly our 
first priority has to be to rescue those who are still alive and 
provide them with housing, medical attention, food, and water. However, 
as the Gulf Coast turns to the recovery and rebuilding processes, the 
billions that Congress will spend will not be enough to fix the 
problems that exist within FEMA.
  Based on my own personal experience dealing with FEMA and its 
director over the last year, I warn the Members of this body that the 
problems you see today are just the tip of the iceberg--and it has 
nothing to do with the magnitude of the disaster.
  Inconsistency in FEMA regulations, constant reinterpretations of the 
Stafford Act, federal officials treating local emergency operations 
centers like revolving doors, lack of coordination, and FEMA's fluid 
and unclear chain of command are just a few of the many significant and 
real problems that Floridians dealt with last year and are still 
dealing with today.
  I have literally begged the committees of jurisdiction in this body 
to hold hearings on these shortcomings. I even introduced bipartisan 
legislation in March with our colleague, Clay Shaw, to address a slew 
of institutional problems within FEMA that we experienced first-hand 
last year.
  Yet every time we take our concerns to the committees, we're told, 
``It's not a big enough problem to consider on its own.'' Well, Mr. 
Speaker, is the problem big enough now? How many people must die in a 
disaster before something becomes a ``big enough problem'' in this 
Congress?
  Accountability is the only way to restore integrity in a broken 
system. An independent commission is the first step in repairing our 
disaster response system, which we all now know is woefully inadequate.
  I ask for my colleagues support for this legislation, and I urge the 
House Leadership to bring it swiftly before the House for its 
consideration.

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