The Myriad Obstacles of Dealing with FEMA

THE MYRIAD OBSTACLES OF DEALING WITH FEMA -- (House of Representatives - November 01, 2005)

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania). Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, at the end of this month, most Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving, and we always look forward to being with our families. On our minds this year, however, are the thousands and thousands of Americans who have been uprooted as a result of the hurricanes in the Gulf region who really need a Thanksgiving; and, as we celebrate, we ought to remember them. We ought to ask ourselves how we can really have a Plymouth Rock weekend and find a way to extend a helping hand to our fellow citizens in the South.

Today, the newspaper USA Today had a lead story talking about the lack of help that these Americans are receiving from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and thousands and thousands scattered across over 18,700 zip codes in all 50 States, people whose footing will not be firm come Thanksgiving this November.

It talks about how the lack of FEMA support has hindered the local groups, the church groups, the not-for-profits, that are trying to help these Americans, our fellow citizens, reposition. They talk about how relief groups have been stymied by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's failure to provide basic information about the evacuees.

I would like to place on the record this evening efforts our office has been making to try to connect housing from the North in communities that we represent, whether that housing is inspected mobile homes, manufactured homes and trailers, to move those units south, to move that excess supply south to the Gulf to people who need the help.

Do you know FEMA does not even have a central Web site yet where we can offer these available units? I represent the longest coastal district in Ohio. We have mobile home courts, manufactured housing, fishing trailers, we have all kinds of units that are sitting empty now that are on the list for sale. They could be easily inspected by Ohio inspectors or taken down to Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, places where people have been displaced. FEMA cannot even create a central records system.

The article this morning talks about the National Low Income Housing Coalition and all the trouble they are having getting basic information about who needs help, who needs shelter as we approach Thanksgiving, how many people have been displaced, where are they living. How is it possible this many months after these tragedies we do not have this information?

FEMA spokeswoman Nicol Andrews said she could not explain why at least three relief groups did not get the data. And, by the way, even our government's Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation are waiting to receive this basic information.

Douglas Culkin of the National Apartment Association, one of the most recognized organizations in our country, says that his association, anxious to be helpful, cannot get information on where evacuees are staying; and at an October 17 meeting here in Washington, Mr. Culkin said he was told someone would get him the information. Guess what? He still does not have it. He says it is unconscionable, and I agree.

What could be so hard about linking supply from the North, for example, with people who need help in the South? Why do I have to come down here to the floor of the Congress and let the country know that, again, FEMA just cannot seem to get its act together?

I had to call the office of the new director of FEMA, R. David Paulison, who did return my phone call, and I appreciate it very much, simply to let him know that I wanted somebody in that agency who knew something about housing, or I said, lacking that, get us somebody from the Department of Defense who is used to putting up field housing. Let's get an interagency transfer and someone who can work with us to move supply, excess supply from the North to those who need supply in the South. Even if it is temporary, it is better than nothing as we approach Thanksgiving season. Why should this be so hard?

All you have to do is talk to the people who run the manufactured housing parks, the mobile home parks, the trailer parks. Let us get those units inspected. We can even put them on trains.

I represent a major rail center. We can get them down into Memphis and take them right into Gulfport, Mississippi. What is the problem? Why cannot FEMA help us?

Plenty of stories have been written about Mississippi. The Manufactured Home Association down there says they have sent notices to FEMA offering housing, never receiving a reply. That is from people inside of Mississippi. Then they found out that Mississippi's government, the government of Mississippi, made purchases from outside Mississippi rather than inside Mississippi.

So, Mr. Speaker, I will place this article in the RECORD this evening; and, please, we are begging FEMA, let all Americans have a blessed Thanksgiving this year.

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