Most of you are already aware of the comments bush has made of late regarding his willingness to implement militia rule. This latest is a quote from Di Feinstein on the Senate floor, setting the wheels in motion for exactly that. She has seized the response to Katrina as the excuse for crushing posse comitatus:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D-CA]: Mr. President, I was pleased to join with the distinguished Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Stevens, in offering an amendment that has been accepted as part of the managers' package in the Fiscal Year 2006 Defense appropriations bill.
Specifically, this amendment would require the Office of Management and Budget, along with the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security, to conduct a study on "improving the response of the Federal Government to disasters."
I believe this study is essential as it is clear to me that there were breakdowns at every level in our response to Hurricane Katrina.
Moreover, it is critical that the Federal Government improve its response to future disasters.
The study required by this amendment would: review the Federal Government's ability to coordinate and expedite its response efforts; evaluate the role of our military in responding to disasters; consider establishing criteria for "automatically triggering" the military's participation in emergency response efforts; and look at increasing the role of the U.S. Geological Survey in preparing and responding to future disasters.
In addition, the amendment requires that the Office of Management and Budget prepare a report based on the study that includes: recommendations for improving the Federal Government's response in future disasters with a focus on the military; and proposals for legislation or regulations to implement these recommendations.
Lastly, I would like to express my disappointment that the amendment does not direct the study to analyze the role of the National Guard in responding to disasters.
While I wholly join those colleagues of mine who have commended the untiring and dedicated work of the National Guard in responding to the recent hurricanes, I believe that including an assessment of the National Guard's capabilities is critical to understanding the broader implications of our government's emergency response mechanisms.
As the principal resource available to States to assist in disaster response efforts, it would seem vital to consider the Guard's capabilities under both State and Federal control, and the mechanisms currently established for mobilizing out-of-State Guard units to assist in any response.
Part of such a review would certainly have included a proper evaluation of whether the National Guard currently has the necessary resources and equipment to respond adequately to disasters.
The study required by this amendment is not about placing blame or pointing fingers; there is plenty of fault to go around. Rather, it is about assessing our capabilities to respond to future disasters, and addressing our weaknesses.
As I have said in the past, we need to ensure that we have a system in place that allows the Federal Government to come in immediately with the full force of its resources and assume primary responsibility for response and relief.
Now is the time to prepare for future disasters.
The study and report required by this amendment will provide us a roadmap for enacting the necessary reforms within our Government to make sure we never again have to observe the failures like we experienced during Hurricane Katrina.
I am REAL curious what the criteria are for "automatically triggering" this travesty. I don't know why, but I find myself looking to the north a lot more these days, towards the Canadian border.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D-CA]: Mr. President, I was pleased to join with the distinguished Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Stevens, in offering an amendment that has been accepted as part of the managers' package in the Fiscal Year 2006 Defense appropriations bill.
Specifically, this amendment would require the Office of Management and Budget, along with the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security, to conduct a study on "improving the response of the Federal Government to disasters."
I believe this study is essential as it is clear to me that there were breakdowns at every level in our response to Hurricane Katrina.
Moreover, it is critical that the Federal Government improve its response to future disasters.
The study required by this amendment would: review the Federal Government's ability to coordinate and expedite its response efforts; evaluate the role of our military in responding to disasters; consider establishing criteria for "automatically triggering" the military's participation in emergency response efforts; and look at increasing the role of the U.S. Geological Survey in preparing and responding to future disasters.
In addition, the amendment requires that the Office of Management and Budget prepare a report based on the study that includes: recommendations for improving the Federal Government's response in future disasters with a focus on the military; and proposals for legislation or regulations to implement these recommendations.
Lastly, I would like to express my disappointment that the amendment does not direct the study to analyze the role of the National Guard in responding to disasters.
While I wholly join those colleagues of mine who have commended the untiring and dedicated work of the National Guard in responding to the recent hurricanes, I believe that including an assessment of the National Guard's capabilities is critical to understanding the broader implications of our government's emergency response mechanisms.
As the principal resource available to States to assist in disaster response efforts, it would seem vital to consider the Guard's capabilities under both State and Federal control, and the mechanisms currently established for mobilizing out-of-State Guard units to assist in any response.
Part of such a review would certainly have included a proper evaluation of whether the National Guard currently has the necessary resources and equipment to respond adequately to disasters.
The study required by this amendment is not about placing blame or pointing fingers; there is plenty of fault to go around. Rather, it is about assessing our capabilities to respond to future disasters, and addressing our weaknesses.
As I have said in the past, we need to ensure that we have a system in place that allows the Federal Government to come in immediately with the full force of its resources and assume primary responsibility for response and relief.
Now is the time to prepare for future disasters.
The study and report required by this amendment will provide us a roadmap for enacting the necessary reforms within our Government to make sure we never again have to observe the failures like we experienced during Hurricane Katrina.
I am REAL curious what the criteria are for "automatically triggering" this travesty. I don't know why, but I find myself looking to the north a lot more these days, towards the Canadian border.