Norton Chairs Subcommittee Hearing on FEMA Food Supply Foul Up (4/19/07)

Norton Chairs Subcommittee Hearing on FEMA Food Supply Foul Up
April 19, 2007

Washington, DC-Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, will hold a hearing on Friday, April 20 to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of FEMA's food storage and delivery system during a major disaster. The hearing, taking place at 9 AM in Room 2167 of the Rayburn House Office Building, is the second in a series Norton is holding to investigate and seek reforms for problems that have surfaced at the Federal Emergency Management Agency since Hurricane Katrina.

Recent news reports revealed that FEMA "lost" $70 million in food aid due to logistical and system failures. This news on the heels of reports of FEMA missteps in the use of temporary housing for hurricane victims. FEMA's housing and relocation policy also was the subject of a Norton Subcommittee hearing last month. "My fear is that this is symptomatic of the "brain drain" at FEMA where experienced emergency managers have left as morale has sank and they have been replaced by well intentioned people who nonetheless have little or no experience in emergency management," Norton said. She said that the problems highlighted by FEMA's emergency food supply system may be indicative of the agency's entire logistics and response system."

Norton's Subcommittee has primary jurisdiction over FEMA operations and programs unrelated to terrorism planning and response.