White House opposes Senate call to dismantle FEMA

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – The White House on Thursday
signaled opposition to a Senate panel’s call to dismantle the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, the main focus of
criticism for the administration’s botched response to
Hurricane Katrina.

“As we’re headed to this hurricane season, now is not
really time to really look at moving organizational boxes,”
Fran Townsend, homeland security adviser to President George W.
Bush, told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to New
Orleans.

A Senate panel on Thursday recommended that the heavily
criticized FEMA be replaced with a new agency that would be
better able to respond to disasters like Hurricane Katrina.

“Yes there’s a better way to organize it… we look forward
to working with the committee,” Townsend said. “I think we all
share the same common goal and that is having a strong, capable
FEMA that is better able to serve the American people when
they’re in greatest need.”