President Obama promised a federal government that is dedicated to greater openness and transparency. But does the Obama administration believe in openness and transparent government when it comes to homeland security grants managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)? Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Heritage Foundation requested basic grant information on the Transit Security Grant Program and the Port Security Grant Program. The transit security grants provide taxpayer funds to mass transit and passenger rail systems to “protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public …
The Daily Caller explains how it works in the Gulf. “Escambia County sends a request to the Mobile, Ala., Unified Command Center…Then, it’s reviewed by BP, the federal government, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard. If they don’t like it, they don’t tell us anything.” The frustration is palpable. Local officials are increasingly frustrated that rather than support from the federal government they are just getting red tape—which doesn’t soak up much oil. Messing-up the oil spill clean-up reflects a bigger problem, Washington has been playing …
Despite the best efforts of America’s most expensive disaster in history, Hurricane Katrina didn’t bankrupt FEMA. Nonetheless, almost five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, FEMA teeters on bankruptcy due to its policy of federalizing virtually every natural disaster in America. As The Heritage Foundation has shown, the federalization of routine natural disasters began in 1993 and has yet to show down. Specifically, in The Solution to FEMAs Budget Woes Is Not More Money and Federalizing Disasters Weakens FEMA and Hurts Americans Hit by Catastrophes, we note: In …
The Pentagon’s Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), which outlines future threats to the United States, recommends cutting the number of military forces prepared to respond to a weapons-of-mass-destruction attack against America. The recommendation to downsize U.S. Northern Command personnel will expand one of three Consequence Management Response Forces (CCMRFs) while moving personnel in the other two brigade-sized forces to Homeland Response Forces in each of the 10 Federal Emergency Agency (FEMA) districts. In this past Monday’s Washington Examiner, Dr. James Carafano writes, “The Pentagon argues that less is actually more, because …
Looks like Mother Nature didn’t get the message about the budget crises in most of the states. So, she twice dumped a bunch of snow on the Midwest and East that required states, cities, and counties to plow – in between frantic calls to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for reinforcements. The calls prompted FEMA to fire-up its fleet of snowplows and dispatch its army of snow shovel crews. Not really. FEMA doesn’t have snowplows or snow shovel crews, so why the frantic calls to Washington? Answer: FEMA has …
In an article today titled, “Cash-Strapped States Feeling Burden of Snow,” Delaware and New Jersey lament how much money they have spent on snow removal this winter. With budget deficits hitting most states, those two states aren’t the only ones who will be looking for cash to pay for the snow removal. One source may by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) given its recent history of issuing declarations for these type of routine events. In its entire 57 year history, FEMA has issued 293 declarations for “Winter Storms“. From …
What is the proper role of the federal government in public safety? Are Congress and the Department of Homeland Security helping or hurting when they take millions of tax dollars from Americans and then redistribute them as they see fit? Both the latest research and practical experience say no. From FY 2001 to FY 2009, Congress appropriated over $5.7 billion in funding for “fire grants” through the Assistance for Firefighter Grant (AFG) Program, Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grants, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) programs. …
Yesterday, the Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced to the House Homeland Security Committee that FEMA would remain a part of DHS. While it is not surprising that Napolitano made the decision, given her inclination towards having FEMA stay put in her January confirmation hearing, it has likely rankled a few folks bent on returning FEMA to its Clinton-era cabinet-level status. But keeping FEMA at DHS is the right decision. FEMA is having tremendous success under DHS leadership—and there have been countless examples that demonstrate this case—from the California …
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano should be vigorously applauded for telling the good folks at the National Emergency Management Agency mid-year conference that FEMA is and should not be a first responder. Napolitano is dead right that too many Americans see FEMA as the end-all and be-all of disaster response activity. We can forgive Napolitano for not owning up to FEMA’s role in fostering that perception given that it has issued declarations at an ever-increasing pace over the last sixteen years for ever more routine-type disasters. Specifically, the yearly average of …
Last Wednesday a small group of at least 10 gunmen fanned out across the Indian city of Mumbai. In coordinated assaults, they attacked areas frequented by foreigners, killing indiscriminately and taking hostages. The one gunmen captured so far has reportedly admitted to authorities that he received training from Lashkar-e-Taiba, a group recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States that has long fought an Islamic insurgency in Kashmir. While the rationale and responsibility for the attacks are still under investigation, the incident is not unprecedented and does raise questions …
