Mitt Romney Opposes FEMA to Handle America's Natural Disasters

CNN/New Hampshire GOP Debate, June 13, 2011

 

What would happen if all natural disaster decisions and funding responsibilities went back to individual states, as candidate Mitt Romney advocates in this 2011 New Hampshire Republican debate? What would happen with cash-strapped states, where would they turn? What about small states like Delaware and Rhode Island, how could they cope?

Read Ryan Grim's take on this issue on Huffington Post. 

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, US President George W. Bush recognized in a report prepared by his Administration that a "National Preparedness System must also recognize the role of the Federal government for monitoring and guiding national preparedness efforts."

Read President Bush's summary of lessons learned from the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe, where states were overwhelmed by the magnitude of the episode as the federal government failed to step up.

Indeed, the report acknowledges that dealing with natural disasters goes beyond the response of individual states.  "Preparedness is inextricably intertwined with our national security, counter terrorism, and homeland security strategies," the report concludes.