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Former FEMA Chief Continuing to Work at Agency for Next Two Weeks
BY LARA JAKES JORDAN, AP
WASHINGTON (Sept. 27) - Former FEMA director Michael Brown said Monday he should have sought help faster from the Pentagon after Hurricane Katrina hit, and accused state and local officials of constant infighting during the crisis, according to congressional aides.
Brown is continuing to work at the Federal Emergency Management Agency at full pay, with his Sept. 12 resignation not taking effect for two more weeks, said Homeland Security Department spokesman Russ Knocke.
Brown spoke to congressional aides from both parties a day before he is scheduled to testify in front of a special House committee investigating the government's response to the Aug. 29 disaster. He did not respond to several calls for response Monday.
But Brown "acknowledged that he made mistakes," said one Republican staff member who attended Monday's 90-minute briefing.
Brown came to symbolize the halting federal efforts to rescue victims of the storm and flooding that followed in which more than 1,000 people died in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He was highly criticized for being a Bush administration political appointee without deep emergency management experience, and left amid accusations that he padded his resume - which he vehemently denied.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff removed Brown from his on-site role overseeing the disaster response on Sept. 9. He announced his resignation from FEMA three days later.
A memo from a second Republican staffer who attended the briefing said Brown expressed regrets "that he did not start screaming for DoD (Department of Defense) involvement" sooner. The first substantial numbers of active-duty troops responding to the Gulf Coast were sent on Saturday, Sept. 3 - five days after the storm hit.
According to the memo, obtained by The Associated Press, Brown took several shots at Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. He said the two officials "sparred during the crisis and could not work together cooperatively."
He also described Blanco as "indecisive" and refusing to cede control of the Louisiana National Guard to federal authorities because "it would have undercut her image politically," the document said.
Spokespeople for Blanco and Nagin could not be immediately reached Monday night.
The memo also criticized Brown's leadership in conference calls with state and federal authorities that he ran during the crisis, saying that no official notes were taken.
Brown "just assumed that agencies would follow up on taskings resulting from the calls," the memo said.
Brown defended himself against charges that he learned from television that thousands of refugees gathered at the New Orleans convention center, where adequate food, water and other supplies were lacking and there was rampant violence.
He said that because the convention center was not a planned evacuation site, "there is no reason FEMA would have known about it beforehand," according to the memo.
Brown also admitted he did not ensure that Nagin had a secure communications system during the crisis. And he cautioned staffers against a federal takeover of emergency management responsibilities that he said would become a "crutch" for local and state governments and could lead to future lapses in preparedness.
Knocke, the Homeland Security spokesman, said Brown agreed to stay at FEMA up four weeks after he resigned to advise the department on "some of his views on his experience with Katrina." He said Brown, who is in a "transition" period, is does not have any decision-making or management responsibilities.
"There is an important public benefit to ensuring that any pending projects, initiatives, commitments or records be properly passed off to staff," Knocke said.
Brown ran FEMA for more than two years.
As Congress launches its investigation into government missteps in responding to Katrina, Brown's appearance in front of the House panel Tuesday looms as the highest profile yet, potentially offering the most drama.
The inquiry, chaired by Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., is composed mostly of Republicans. Most Democrats have boycotted the investigation, which they say should be done by an independent commission.
However, at least two Democrats whose home states were crushed by Katrina - Reps. Gene Taylor of Mississippi and Charlie Melancon of Louisiana - planned to attend Tuesday's hearing.
09-27-05 01:07 EDT
BY LARA JAKES JORDAN, AP
WASHINGTON (Sept. 27) - Former FEMA director Michael Brown said Monday he should have sought help faster from the Pentagon after Hurricane Katrina hit, and accused state and local officials of constant infighting during the crisis, according to congressional aides.
Brown is continuing to work at the Federal Emergency Management Agency at full pay, with his Sept. 12 resignation not taking effect for two more weeks, said Homeland Security Department spokesman Russ Knocke.
Brown spoke to congressional aides from both parties a day before he is scheduled to testify in front of a special House committee investigating the government's response to the Aug. 29 disaster. He did not respond to several calls for response Monday.
But Brown "acknowledged that he made mistakes," said one Republican staff member who attended Monday's 90-minute briefing.
Brown came to symbolize the halting federal efforts to rescue victims of the storm and flooding that followed in which more than 1,000 people died in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He was highly criticized for being a Bush administration political appointee without deep emergency management experience, and left amid accusations that he padded his resume - which he vehemently denied.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff removed Brown from his on-site role overseeing the disaster response on Sept. 9. He announced his resignation from FEMA three days later.
A memo from a second Republican staffer who attended the briefing said Brown expressed regrets "that he did not start screaming for DoD (Department of Defense) involvement" sooner. The first substantial numbers of active-duty troops responding to the Gulf Coast were sent on Saturday, Sept. 3 - five days after the storm hit.
According to the memo, obtained by The Associated Press, Brown took several shots at Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. He said the two officials "sparred during the crisis and could not work together cooperatively."
He also described Blanco as "indecisive" and refusing to cede control of the Louisiana National Guard to federal authorities because "it would have undercut her image politically," the document said.
Spokespeople for Blanco and Nagin could not be immediately reached Monday night.
The memo also criticized Brown's leadership in conference calls with state and federal authorities that he ran during the crisis, saying that no official notes were taken.
Brown "just assumed that agencies would follow up on taskings resulting from the calls," the memo said.
Brown defended himself against charges that he learned from television that thousands of refugees gathered at the New Orleans convention center, where adequate food, water and other supplies were lacking and there was rampant violence.
He said that because the convention center was not a planned evacuation site, "there is no reason FEMA would have known about it beforehand," according to the memo.
Brown also admitted he did not ensure that Nagin had a secure communications system during the crisis. And he cautioned staffers against a federal takeover of emergency management responsibilities that he said would become a "crutch" for local and state governments and could lead to future lapses in preparedness.
Knocke, the Homeland Security spokesman, said Brown agreed to stay at FEMA up four weeks after he resigned to advise the department on "some of his views on his experience with Katrina." He said Brown, who is in a "transition" period, is does not have any decision-making or management responsibilities.
"There is an important public benefit to ensuring that any pending projects, initiatives, commitments or records be properly passed off to staff," Knocke said.
Brown ran FEMA for more than two years.
As Congress launches its investigation into government missteps in responding to Katrina, Brown's appearance in front of the House panel Tuesday looms as the highest profile yet, potentially offering the most drama.
The inquiry, chaired by Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., is composed mostly of Republicans. Most Democrats have boycotted the investigation, which they say should be done by an independent commission.
However, at least two Democrats whose home states were crushed by Katrina - Reps. Gene Taylor of Mississippi and Charlie Melancon of Louisiana - planned to attend Tuesday's hearing.
09-27-05 01:07 EDT