FEMA nominee promises Senate panel to improve disaster response at the agency

FEMA nominee promises to improve response

WASHINGTON — The president’s nominee to lead the nation’s disaster response agency said he will hold the agency to a much higher standard than how it demonstrated in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

In testimony prepared for his confirmation hearing Wednesday, Craig Fugate said the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes would no longer be the benchmark for performance under his watch at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA was widely criticized for its botched response to Katrina when the federal government showed up late and unprepared. Since then, the question has been: Is the FEMA response better than it was in 2005? The answer has been yes, though no disaster has been nearly as catastrophic as Katrina.

Fugate previously served as head of emergency management in Florida where he worked for two Republican governors.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The president’s nominees to lead the nation’s disaster response and immigration enforcement agencies are headed to Capitol Hill for confirmation hearings in the Senate.

Federal Emergency Management Agency nominee Craig Fugate faces questions from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about hurricane preparedness and response. The agency was widely criticized for its botched response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Fugate previously served as head of emergency management in Florida.

John Morton, who was tapped to head Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is currently a senior official at the Justice Department.