Posted on 09/27/2005 10:26:28 AM PDT by Rennes Templar
WASHINGTON (Sept. 27) - Former FEMA director Michael Brown aggressively defended his role in responding to Hurricane Katrina on Tuesday and put much of the blame for coordination failures on Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.
"My biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday that Louisiana was dysfunctional," two days before the storm hit, Brown told a special congressional panel set up by House Republican leaders to investigate the catastrophe.
The storm slammed into the Gulf Coast on Monday, Aug. 29.
Brown's defense drew a scathing response from Rep. William Jefferson, D-La.
"I find it absolutely stunning that this hearing would start out with you, Mr. Brown, laying the blame for FEMA's failings at the feet of the governor of Louisiana and the Mayor of New Orleans."
Brown, who for many became a symbol of government failures in the natural disaster that claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people, rejected accusations that he was too inexperienced for the job.
"I've overseen over 150 presidentially declared disasters. I know what I'm doing, and I think I do a pretty darn good job of it," Brown said.
Brown resigned as the head of FEMA earlier this month after being removed by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff from responsibility in the stricken areas.
Brown, who joined FEMA in 2001 and ran it for more than two years, was previously an attorney who held several local government and private posts, including leading the International Arabian Horse Association.
Brown in his opening statement said he had made several "specific mistakes" in dealing with the storm, and listed two.
One, he said, was not having more media briefings.
As to the other, he said: "I very strongly personally 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."
Both Blanco and Nagin are Democrats.
"The people of FEMA are being tired of being beat up, and they don't deserve it," Brown said.
The hearing was largely boycotted by Democrats, who want an independent investigation conducted into government failures, not one run by congressional Republicans.
But Jefferson -- who is not a committee member -- accepted the panel's invitation to grill Brown.
Referring to Brown's description of his "mistakes," Jefferson said: "I think that's a very weak explanation of what happened, and very incomplete explanation of what happened. I don't think that's going to cut it, really."
Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., cautioned against too narrowly assigning blame.
"At the end of the day, I suspect that we'll find that government at all levels failed the people of Louisiana and Mississippi and Alabama and the Gulf Coast," said Davis.
Davis pushed Brown on what he and the agency he led should have done to evacuate New Orleans, restore order in the city and improve communication among law enforcement agencies.
Brown said: "Those are not FEMA roles. FEMA doesn't evacuate communities. FEMA does not do law enforcement. FEMA does not do communications."
In part of his testimony, Brown pumped his hand up and down for emphasis.
Brown said the lack of a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans before the storm was "the tipping point for all the other things that went wrong." Brown said he had personally pushed Louisiana Gov. Blanco to order such an evacuation.
He did not have the authority to order the city evacuated on his own, Brown said.
When asked by Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky, whether the lack of an ordered evacuation was "the proximate cause of most people's misery," Brown said, "Yes."
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.
Knocke said Brown agreed to stay at FEMA up to 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, 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.
Yes.... indeed he is.
BUMP
The fact of the matter is that everything in Louisiana south of Alexandria IS dysfunctional. North of Alexandria is just like living in America.
Everyone in Louisiana knows that.
Brown has nothing to lose so he is telling the truth.
Of course it wont fly the Dems in Louisianna will whitewash Blanco and Nagin and the Republicans dont have any testicles . But the truth is there for all to see.
Even the President just sits there taking pies in the face for Blanco' mismanagement and says nothing.
I am sick of New Orleans , the incompetence of its Mmayor the incompetence of the Governor of Louisianna, the racial accusations, the boondoggle over bids for repair, Landreau's demands for 250 billion dollars. The whole stinking mess. And I am especially sick of Republicans who say and do nothing while they are being shat upon.
It's a damn shame he's getting so much grief for telling the truth.
I read that Nagin used to be a Republican. Don't know if it's true.
Nagin is a former republican, donated to Bush, supported Bush in 2004, and supported Blanco's opponent in the Gov. race.
W is doing something very shrewd right now. He is proposing federalizing disaster relief. OK, why? Simple, the left will oppose this with every fiber of their being. THE MILITARY!!!! IN their backyards!!!! They will protest and howl out of their raging hatred for Bush. Meanwhile, they will forget that they have just blamed Bush for not doing more in the face of these disasters.
In other words, the left is out their saying their usual: "Do something to protect us. . .just don't do anything."
Maybe he'll start a trend.
Or Jamie Gorlick sitting on the 9/11 investigation.
Drug money?
Big mistake.
Communications (repeater & cell towers) are among the first things to go down in a weather emergency.
IMHO, FEMA should take a lesson from the military, and equip "mini-AWACS" planes to orbit overhead with repeaters that can be tuned to the frequencies used by both local and federal emergency services -- and cell phones.
Brown is right.
Louisianna is dysfunctional. It's congressman can take all the humbrage he desires. At the end of the day, he's wrong and Brown is right.
Why can't GW say this? Because he still has to mobilize a state behind his leadership to get this job done. We've already proven that the governor couldn't mobilize a girl scout sale during cookie month.
He's the designated scapegoat, so he might as well tell the truth and hurt some RAT feelings on his way out.
Thats my main issue with W...He never speaks up for himself..There will be no more more elections..so the time is now for him to start attacking back! He needs to start with Ted Kennedy..and go on down the line.And realy hit that rat Bill Clinton. Here is Bush helping this loser gain back his reputation, and the man responsible for 9/11 has the nerve to backstab him.. SPEAK UP W! Im sick of fighting his battles when he does't even want to himself. very frustrating
Why does William Jefferson, D-La sound like William Jefferson Blythe, D-Ak ?
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