Brown passes buck

Michael Brown, the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who resigned in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, shifted blame to local and state officials while testifying before a Congressional panel Tuesday.

He told the Republican-led special House Committee that he made two mistakes in responding to the storm: not setting up a system of media briefings and being unable to persuade La. Governor Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin to coordinate their responses.

"We were prepared but overwhelmed," Brown said.

He also said his biggest mistake was failing to realize soon enough that Louisiana was "dysfunctional."

Citing the need for an independent commission and questioning the loyalties of congressional Republicans running Tuesday's hearing, the Democratic leadership refused to name any members to the committee.

"Michael Brown's appearance before the sham committee proves that Republicans are adept at staging photo opportunities, not meaningful and rigorous oversight of the Bush administration," said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in a press release.

Not all Democrats, however, boycotted the hearings. Reps. William Jefferson, D-La., and Gene Taylor, D-Miss., both showed up Tuesday to question Brown.

Lawmakers from both parties asked Brown tough questions about FEMA's logistical and communication failures, while the two Democrats disputed Brown's claims that state and local officials primarily were to blame.

The Republican-dominated committee is markedly different from the independent bipartisan commission established following Sept. 11.

Democrats had called for a similar commission to be established after Hurricane Katrina.

"A Republican committee will go out of their way to not embarrass the White House," said James Stimson, a political science professor at UNC.

He said Democrats don't want to lend the committee credibility by making it appear bipartisan.

Jonathan Bernstein, president of Bernstein Crisis Management, a consulting firm, said the hearings were mostly for show.

"I think the investigation is just a political event," he said.

A serious analysis of the emergency response to Hurricane Katrina would provide a lot of lessons, and at least some change, he said.

"There were breakdowns on all levels (of government)," Bernstein said. "It appears that the city and state failed to call on FEMA soon enough."

Still, even if it had been called upon in time, FEMA would have been unable to respond adequately, he said.

Brown has faced intense criticism about his delayed response to Hurricane Katrina and about his questionable qualifications for the job of agency director.

He was removed from his position heading hurricane relief efforts Sept. 9 and resigned three days later. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad Allen has since taken charge of the federal response to the storm.

Despite all of that, Stimson said continuing Democratic demands for an independent commission might fall upon deaf ears.

"My gut feeling is that the American public is losing interest."

 

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.