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ASNCP Urges Senator Vitter To Stop Blocking FEMA Nominee Craig Fugate From Being Confirmed

May 7, 2009

Americans for Smart Natural Catastrophe Policy today urged Senator David Vitter to stop blocking Craig Fugate, President Obama’s nominee to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), from being confirmed.  Senate procedural rules allow individual senators to hold up a presidential nomination, effectively delaying the confirmation process by forcing a series of time-consuming votes.

With hurricane season set to begin next month, Americans for Smart Natural Catastrophe Policy said the Senate should confirm Mr. Fugate as soon as possible to ensure that FEMA is ready to respond to any weather-related events that might come up.  The group also urged the Obama administration to promote policies that reduce vulnerabilities to natural disasters and end subsidies for risky behavior. 

“Craig Fugate is superbly qualified to head FEMA. He’s a respected professional with tons of experience. He understands that a good disaster-relief involves helping people help themselves—not just handing out money. It’s unfortunate, to say the least, that members of the Senate have chosen to hold his nomination hostage in the name of narrow regional interests,” said Eli Lehrer, Senior Fellow of the Competitive Enterprise Institute.  “FEMA just shouldn’t go into hurricane season without a strong leader at its helm.”

“It’s clear that having the new FEMA director in place and ready to go – particularly in light of the coming hurricane season – is an absolute must.  We urge the Congress to act quickly on Mr. Fugate’s nomination,” said David Conrad, Senior Water Specialist for the National Wildlife Federation.  “Getting someone like Mr. Fugate in place is of the utmost importance given his commitment to smart mitigation policies that don’t encourage risky conduct.  Emphasizing wise land uses will ensure that people are protected and that we don’t develop in high-risk locations.”

About Americans for Smart Natural Catastrophe Policy American for Smart Natural Catastrophe Policy is a national coalition made up of a diverse set of voices united to support environmentally-responsible, fiscally-sound approaches that promote public safety. The Coalition strongly opposes legislative proposals that encourage people to build homes in hurricane-prone, environmentally-sensitive areas by creating new programs that directly or indirectly subsidize their homeowner’s insurance.

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