FEMA Recovery Slow, Says D.C. Delegate

By Laura Smith, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a meeting on the status of the recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita four years ago called “Final Breakthrough on the Billion Dollar Katrina Infrastructure Logjam: How is it working?”

However, according to Chairwoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) some of the new ideas proposed to help with the recovery of Katrina are just now coming to fruition.

She said FEMA resisted efforts to break the logjam preferring its own traditional devices. She also discussed HR 3247, which the house passed in October 2007 encouraging the use of third parties to review and expedite public assistance appeals, as well as for projects up to $100,000.

“We passed this bill, which also raised the federal contribution of certain projects from 75 percent to 90 percent, not once but twice. It is sad the administration wasn’t able to pass this legislation,” Norton said during a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing Tuesday.

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) said he’s experienced working with FEMA and seen great success with them alongside the delays that may occur.

“We all know addressing the delays in public assistance … is critical in the recovery process following a major disaster like a hurricane. Unfortunately delays have plagued the recovery process in Louisiana, and also in other states that were impacted by Katrina and Rita,” he said.

He said that since then Congress has taken a number of steps to strengthen FEMA and to try to ensure that Louisiana and other states can recover. Still, Diaz-Balart said delays still persist.

FEMA deputy administrator Dave Garratt said he’s recognized there’s still steps that must be taken in regard to recovery in states like Louisiana and that they are at no means able to say ‘mission accomplished.’

“We recognize that there’s still much to do, and we intend to work with our partners to make sure it happens,” Garratt said.