Brown Defends FEMA Response
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
WASHINGTON — Michael Brown (search), the embattled former FEMA chief, on Tuesday told a House committee that his organization did that best it could in the face of Hurricane Katrina, but wished local and state governments in Louisiana had been more cooperative and media reports had been fairer.
At one point, questioned by committee chairman Rep. Tom Davis (search), R-Va., Brown said: "My biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday [Aug. 27] that Louisiana was dysfunctional."
Brown told the committee investigating the government's response to Katrina that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had prepared well before the hurricane. FEMA had set up communications systems, held meetings in preparation and stationed key personnel and equipment in the area, but "out of harm's way" to prepare for the storm.
"FEMA pushed forward with everything that it had," but people continue to misinterpret the role of the agency, Brown told the committee
"Guess what, FEMA doesn't own fire trucks; we don't own ambulances; we don't own search and rescue equipment. In fact, the only search and rescue or emergency equipment that we own is a very small cadre to protect some property that we own around the country. FEMA is a coordinating agency. We are not a law enforcement agency," he said.
Brown told the committee members that two of his biggest faults in the response were not being able to convince Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (search) and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (search ) to act faster and not dealing with the media better.
He said he felt "personal regret that I was unable to persuade Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin to sit down, get over their differences and work together. I just couldn't pull that off."
Brown added that he let the media manipulate his time, which could have been better spent.
"I failed initially to set up a series of regular briefings to the media about what FEMA was doing throughout the Gulf Coast region. And instead, I became tied to the news shows, going on the news shows early in the morning and late at night, and that was just a mistake," he said.
"We should have been feeding that information to the press and in the manner and in the time that we wanted to, instead of letting the press drive us," he said, adding that when things started going badly, the press began attacking him personally
Brown appeared before the House Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina led by Davis, which is looking into the government response to Hurricane Katrina (search). Though the inquiry was meant to be bipartisan, Democrats say Republican lawmakers cannot fairly investigate the GOP White House, and are calling for an independent commission. Democrats have largely boycotted the congressional investigation, but Rep. William Jefferson, who represents part of New Orleans, did participate in the questioning.
Brown told Jefferson that the emergency response system worked in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, but not in Louisiana.
Brown began his comments Tuesday, saying that while some criticism of all levels of government response to Hurricane Katrina was valid, “I’ll tell you that some of it is just not valid.”
“You can’t believe everything that you read in the newspapers, or everything that you see on television,” Brown said, challenging online reports, magazine stories and other news outlets that he says reported incorrect facts about his resume and professional career.
"One national magazine not only defamed me, but my alma mater, the Oklahoma City University School of Law, in one sentence alone leveling six false charges," Brown said. "I guess it's the media's job, but I don't like it."
Brown announced his resignation from FEMA three days after Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff (search) removed him from overseeing the onsite disaster response. During that time, Brown was highly criticized for being a Bush administration political appointee without deep emergency management experience. He has denied accusations that he padded his resume.
Brown, who still acts as an adviser for DHS, wasn't appearing with the backing of the Department of Homeland Security, a department spokesman said.
The spokesman said the department had little part in preparing his testimony except for "providing some nuts and bolts facts," and DHS would learn of his remarks on TV.
Before the hearing began Tuesday, new information arose about Brown's actions during the response. According to a congressional memo, Brown has said he was initially unaware of desperate conditions at the New Orleans Convention Center because it was not a planned Hurricane Katrina evacuation site.
In Katrina's aftermath, thousands of people swarmed the convention center, which did not have enough food, water or other supplies and was filled amidst a backdrop of violence and fear.
The memo was written by a Republican congressional aide who attended a 90-minute briefing Monday with Brown, who resigned on Sept. 12 after running FEMA for more than two years,
Brown has a two-week "transition" period remaining at the agency, during which he will advise the department on "some of his views on his experience with Katrina," Homeland security spokesman Russ Knocke said. He is receiving full pay for the time that he is in an advisory role, which expires Oct. 12, one month after his resignation.
FOX News' Catherine Herridge and Gregory Simmons and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,170514,00.html
This wont get much media play, but it is interesting none the less. Remember, Democrats what to take care of people, unless they are fighting Republicans or each other.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
WASHINGTON — Michael Brown (search), the embattled former FEMA chief, on Tuesday told a House committee that his organization did that best it could in the face of Hurricane Katrina, but wished local and state governments in Louisiana had been more cooperative and media reports had been fairer.
At one point, questioned by committee chairman Rep. Tom Davis (search), R-Va., Brown said: "My biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday [Aug. 27] that Louisiana was dysfunctional."
Brown told the committee investigating the government's response to Katrina that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had prepared well before the hurricane. FEMA had set up communications systems, held meetings in preparation and stationed key personnel and equipment in the area, but "out of harm's way" to prepare for the storm.
"FEMA pushed forward with everything that it had," but people continue to misinterpret the role of the agency, Brown told the committee
"Guess what, FEMA doesn't own fire trucks; we don't own ambulances; we don't own search and rescue equipment. In fact, the only search and rescue or emergency equipment that we own is a very small cadre to protect some property that we own around the country. FEMA is a coordinating agency. We are not a law enforcement agency," he said.
Brown told the committee members that two of his biggest faults in the response were not being able to convince Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (search) and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (search ) to act faster and not dealing with the media better.
He said he felt "personal regret that I was unable to persuade Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin to sit down, get over their differences and work together. I just couldn't pull that off."
Brown added that he let the media manipulate his time, which could have been better spent.
"I failed initially to set up a series of regular briefings to the media about what FEMA was doing throughout the Gulf Coast region. And instead, I became tied to the news shows, going on the news shows early in the morning and late at night, and that was just a mistake," he said.
"We should have been feeding that information to the press and in the manner and in the time that we wanted to, instead of letting the press drive us," he said, adding that when things started going badly, the press began attacking him personally
Brown appeared before the House Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina led by Davis, which is looking into the government response to Hurricane Katrina (search). Though the inquiry was meant to be bipartisan, Democrats say Republican lawmakers cannot fairly investigate the GOP White House, and are calling for an independent commission. Democrats have largely boycotted the congressional investigation, but Rep. William Jefferson, who represents part of New Orleans, did participate in the questioning.
Brown told Jefferson that the emergency response system worked in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, but not in Louisiana.
Brown began his comments Tuesday, saying that while some criticism of all levels of government response to Hurricane Katrina was valid, “I’ll tell you that some of it is just not valid.”
“You can’t believe everything that you read in the newspapers, or everything that you see on television,” Brown said, challenging online reports, magazine stories and other news outlets that he says reported incorrect facts about his resume and professional career.
"One national magazine not only defamed me, but my alma mater, the Oklahoma City University School of Law, in one sentence alone leveling six false charges," Brown said. "I guess it's the media's job, but I don't like it."
Brown announced his resignation from FEMA three days after Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff (search) removed him from overseeing the onsite disaster response. During that time, Brown was highly criticized for being a Bush administration political appointee without deep emergency management experience. He has denied accusations that he padded his resume.
Brown, who still acts as an adviser for DHS, wasn't appearing with the backing of the Department of Homeland Security, a department spokesman said.
The spokesman said the department had little part in preparing his testimony except for "providing some nuts and bolts facts," and DHS would learn of his remarks on TV.
Before the hearing began Tuesday, new information arose about Brown's actions during the response. According to a congressional memo, Brown has said he was initially unaware of desperate conditions at the New Orleans Convention Center because it was not a planned Hurricane Katrina evacuation site.
In Katrina's aftermath, thousands of people swarmed the convention center, which did not have enough food, water or other supplies and was filled amidst a backdrop of violence and fear.
The memo was written by a Republican congressional aide who attended a 90-minute briefing Monday with Brown, who resigned on Sept. 12 after running FEMA for more than two years,
Brown has a two-week "transition" period remaining at the agency, during which he will advise the department on "some of his views on his experience with Katrina," Homeland security spokesman Russ Knocke said. He is receiving full pay for the time that he is in an advisory role, which expires Oct. 12, one month after his resignation.
FOX News' Catherine Herridge and Gregory Simmons and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,170514,00.html
This wont get much media play, but it is interesting none the less. Remember, Democrats what to take care of people, unless they are fighting Republicans or each other.
