House committee aims to move first on FEMA overhaul

The House Homeland Security Committee will move aggressively to overhaul the nation's emergency preparedness and response system, with a goal of approving legislation before the start of the hurricane season in five weeks.

With the looming hurricane threat and mounting election-year pressure to address the system's glaring deficiencies, it appears the panel wants to get out front with its legislation before any competing proposals can gain traction, especially the Senate plan unveiled Thursday to replace the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The committee's top priority has become marking up a bill to rebuild FEMA and make other changes to improve the nation's emergency preparedness and response capabilities. The bill is being drafted by House Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee Chairman Dave Reichert, R-Wash., and House Homeland Security Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas. Their effort has been endorsed by both Homeland Security Chairman Peter King, R-N.Y., and ranking member Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.

"This bill will be coming out of the committee fast," one aide said. "This is the next thing to be marked up." The bill would leave FEMA in the Homeland Security Department, but expand its powers. Responsibility for both emergency preparedness and response would also be reunited within the agency, reversing a decision last year by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

But other key House Republicans are pursuing alternatives. Government Reform Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., and Transportation and Infrastructure Economic Development Subcommittee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa., want to make FEMA independent again. Transportation and Infrastructure ranking member James Oberstar, D-Minn., also has a bill to restore FEMA's independence.

"We're certainly going to advocate our position," said a Democratic aide for the Transportation and Infrastructure panel, adding that Oberstar believes his committee should have sole jurisdiction over FEMA and can do a much better job of oversight than the Homeland Security Committee.

Senators also appear to have a competing vision, although it bears some similarities to the Reichert-McCaul bill. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, and ranking member Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., said Thursday they want to replace FEMA with a new National Preparedness and Response Authority, although Collins said it would be "highly unlikely" to pass legislation before the start of the hurricane season.

A House Republican aide portrayed the Reichert-McCaul bill as a moderate approach compared to the more bureaucratic upheavals promised by the Davis-Shuster and Collins-Lieberman plans.

"We don't have time to strip [FEMA] out. We don't have time to dismantle it," the aide said. "There's a more moderate position that is equally, if not more effective, and will help the nation be better prepared."

The aide acknowledged that both the Collins-Lieberman plan and the Reichert-McCaul bill would reunite preparedness and response, have the agency's director report directly to the president during a national crisis, establish regional directors and offices, and give the agency responsibility for grants.