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Opening remarks, as prepared, of Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Ranking Member Daniel Webster (R-FL) from today’s hearing entitled, “FEMA Priorities for 2022: Stakeholder Perspectives”:

FEMA has a mission critical to our Nation and my home state of Florida.  FEMA leads the federal government’s response to disasters – natural and man-made. 

When FEMA’s processes are complicated and riddled with too much red tape, it slows preparation for and recovery from disasters, and it discourages investment in mitigation.  Over the years, this Committee has passed legislation intended to cut red tape, but these laws are either rarely implemented as intended, or FEMA finds more red tape to put back into the process.

The Government Accountability Office has issued dozens of reports with many recommendations still open across a host of areas including recovery, mitigation, and individual assistance.  What seems to be a common theme throughout many of these reports is how confusing and complicated FEMA’s process can be.

It is more critical than ever, with the number of disasters we are seeing, for the process to be streamlined and sped up.  We need to get assistance out the door quickly to allow communities and families to rebuild faster and easily build in mitigation so next time there will be less damage.

That is why I am pleased to be a cosponsor of the bipartisan legislation, the SPEED Recovery Act, introduced by Ranking Member Sam Graves, which will streamline the process for 95% of disaster projects.

I look forward to hearing from the GAO and stakeholders here today and those submitting written testimony for the record.

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