Embattled FEMA Chief Removed from Hurricane Relief Efforts
By James Gerstenzang
The Los Angeles Times
Friday 09 September 2005
Washington - Michael Brown, the embattled head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was removed today from a direct role in running the relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Michael Chertoff, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, announced.
Brown, whose agency has been criticized for imposing bureaucratic obstacles to relief efforts even before the winds and rain died down, was being sent back to Washington from Louisiana, where he had been the top on-scene commander of the federal operation.
He was replaced by Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad W. Allen, Chertoff said.
The secretary said Brown was needed at the helm of the agency to prepare for future hurricanes, but senior Democrats said President Bush should fire the agency head.
Chertoff made the announcement at a brief, hastily announced press conference in Baton Rouge, La., with Brown at his side. He would not let Brown respond to questions.
The secretary, whose department absorbed FEMA when the nation's domestic defense operations were overhauled after the Sept. 11 attacks, presented the shift as a reflection of the ongoing needs of preparing for additional hurricane damage.
He said the department was preparing to move from "immediate emergency response" to its next phase, and needed "a seamless interaction with military forces."
"At the same time, we are still in hurricane season. We need to be prepared to deal effectively with the possibility of other hurricanes as well as other disasters, whether they be natural or man-made," Chertoff said. "Therefore, I've directed Mike Brown to return to administering FEMA nationally."
"We cannot afford to let our guard down with respect to other things that might happen," he added. "Therefore, I want to make sure FEMA continues to be run the way it needs to be, continues to be prepared to anticipate other challenges."
He said Allen would be "the principal federal official" overseeing recovery work in the gulf region.
"Mike Brown has done everything he possibly could to coordinate the federal response to this unprecedented challenge. I appreciate his work, as does everybody here," said the secretary, who was dressed informally in a Brooks Brothers sport shirt.
As the under secretary of a Cabinet department, Brown is paid $149,200 a year, according to the Senate listing of government salaries.
The latest difficulties Brown faced were two reports that his official resume did not accurately reflect his work experience; one report indicated he had overstated his role as an emergency manager.
Asked whether the shift was "the first step" toward Brown's resignation-a question that was also directed to Brown-and how Brown responded to the reports about his resume, Chertoff, assuming the stern manner of an appeals court judge-a position he formerly held-responded curtly:
"Here are the ground rules: I'm going to answer the questions. I've explained what we're doing. I thought I was about as clear as I possibly could be in English as to what I'm doing and why I'm doing it."
In a written statement distributed by the homeland security department, where Brown's title is under secretary, Brown called attention to the potential threat of Hurricane Ophelia off the Florida coast, and said he was returning to Washington "to resume oversight over operations" preparing for the storm.
"FEMA is fully capable of handling multi-storm operations," his statement said.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and the assistant minority leader, Richard Durbin (D-IL) wrote to Bush requesting Brown's "immediate removal" as head of FEMA.
"The events of the last 10 days have shown that Mr. Brown has repeatedly exercised poor judgment and has failed in his basic responsibilities," they said, adding that it was not sufficient to remove Brown from the gulf region.
The letter was also signed by Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Separately, Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) said in a statement e-mailed to reporters that "returning Brown to his duties in Washington is like asking the captain of the Titanic to become the head of the Coast Guard. It makes no sense."
"Mr. Brown was not qualified when appointed, and he has failed the enormous challenge of Katrina. When the next disaster hits, there is no guarantee that it will be any smaller or less challenging than this one, but it appears that FEMA will still be led by Michael Brown," he said.
As the reports about the resume circulated, the White House appeared earlier in the day to distance itself from Brown.
As the recovery effort's problems compounded, Brown became as politically toxic as the soup of contaminated water that covered up to 80% of New Orleans.
And he became a problem for Bush, who had given him a verbal, and very public, pat on the back, saying "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job," during a visit to the region last Friday.
Amid reports that Brown's official resume may have overstated his emergency management experience, White House press secretary Scott McClellan declined to give Brown a public vote of confidence on Bush's behalf.
McClellan said Bush had not asked for Brown's resignation.
But, asked whether Bush had full confidence in the director of the government's premier emergency management official in aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the slow recovery effort, McClellan said: "What we are continuing to do is to support those all in the region who are carrying out the operational activities. We continue to appreciate the work of all those who have been working round the clock." "I think what you need to do is look at the overall situation. There are phases to this response effort, and we've been in immediate-needs phase for some time here now, for just over a week now, focusing on the lifesaving and life-sustaining missions," he said.
Asked again whether Bush had confidence in Brown, the president's spokesman said of his initial response: "I think that's the way to address the overall question. We appreciate all those who are working round the clock, and that's the way I would answer it." He did not answer a question about Brown's resume, referring the questioner to FEMA's statement taking issue with one of the reports.
TIME magazine and Newsday published raised questions about the accuracy of Brown's official biography.
The magazine said that Brown had listed, as his only previous job in emergency management before he joined FEMA four years ago, the post of "assistant city manager with emergency services oversight."
It said the White House press release announcing his appointment said he had worked from 1975 to 1978 for the city of Edmond, Okla. "overseeing the emergency services division."
However, the magazine quoted Claudia Deakins, the head of public relations for the city, as saying that Brown had been an "assistant to the city manager" from 1977 to 1980, in a post that "is more like an intern." FEMA, according to the magazine, disputed the characterization, and said that Brown had said a large portion of the magazine's report "is very inaccurate."
The Newsday report said that when Brown was nominated to the top FEMA job in January, 2003, the White House said he had been "the Executive Director of the Independent Electrical Contractors." But, the Long Island, N.Y. newspaper said that two officials of the group reported that he had never been the national head of the group, although he had served as the executive director of a chapter, based in Colorado, for six weeks.
Brown, a Republican and a lawyer, had served for a decade with the International Arabian Horse Assn., a post that was not mentioned in the White House press release on his nomination.
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