WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Congressman Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, released the following statement after Acting Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator David Richardson resigned.
“Richardson’s departure is long overdue. His inexperience, incompetence and indifference at FEMA cost lives. When catastrophic flooding killed over 130 people in Central Texas, he was missing in action.
Americans deserve competent emergency management. They deserve to know with certainty that when disaster strikes, the U.S. government will have their back. The President must end his dangerous assault on FEMA and quickly nominate a qualified and proactive replacement for the Senate to confirm.”
Stanton grilled Richardson grilled Richardson in a July committee hearing over the “stunning breakdowns in leadership” following the deadly flooding in Texas. Video of Stanton’s opening statement is HERE and his questioning is HERE. Stanton called on President Donald Trump to fire Richardson and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, citing a damning Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finding FEMA violated federal law six times.