FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2006


Burghard questions oversight of DHS, readiness for hurricane season

Columbia, Mo. - Today marks the 100th anniversary of the San Francisco Earthquake which killed thousands and left hundreds of thousands homeless. Back then there was no FEMA and no Department of Homeland Security. Today, we'd expect such a disaster would be handled far more effectively.

Duane Burghard, the Democrat running for the U.S. House in Missouri's 9th District, notes the sad truth that today's government is actually less competent and less prepared for disaster response than it was a few years ago.

"Despite all the money we have spent on the Department of Homeland Security, our ability to effectively respond to a major crisis remains inadequate," said Burghard, "and with our National Guard and reserve forces overcommitted overseas, we lack a critical resource to help us deal with crises at home."

Burghard also wants to know where the Congressional oversight for FEMA and DHS has been. "This Congress is about to break the record of the 1948 'do nothing' Congress, spending the least amount of time solving the problems of Americans in a lifetime. They have done less to earn their salaries than any previous Congress, while America waits for serious solutions to its serious problems." With respect to FEMA, Burghard notes that "the primary disconnect, which is the separation of preparedness and response functions, has not been addressed at all." Eleven days ago, President Bush ended an embarrassing 7 month search for a new FEMA director (after several turned down the offer) by nominating R. David Paulison, the acting director of the agency.

Burghard also notes that, as hurricane season approaches, the Congress and the Administration are ignoring warning signs about New Orleans. "Data from NOAA, the USGS and scientists at LSU indicate strongly that part of New Orleans is sinking at an increasing rate due to tectonic shifts. Levee reconstruction is not taking this data into account and the results will almost certainly be disastrous. This is just another example of an administration and a Congress that is predisposed to ignore any scientist whose conclusions they disagree with."

Burghard believes that FEMA should be restored to its pre-2002 status, that the director should report directly to the President, and that preparedness and response functions should be reunited within the agency.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Hayday, 573-529-0712