Perry opposes idea for military role in disaster response [View All]

[Judi Lynn]

Oct. 18, 2005, 7:40PM

Perry opposes idea for military role in disaster response
Governor says public confidence has plunged after inept handling of Hurricane Katrina

By SAMANTHA LEVINE
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

Gov. Rick Perry joins several other state leaders who have taken stands against President Bush's proposal.
WASHINGTON - Gov. Rick Perry said Tuesday that he strongly opposes President Bush's suggestion that the U.S. military take a lead role in the response to domestic disasters.

Speaking at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank a day before he was to testify before a House committee on disaster response, Perry said public confidence in the federal government's ability to deal with crises plummeted after its bungled handling of Hurricane Katrina.

"If the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina was, as President Bush agreed, inadequate, then how I am supposed to explain to the people of Port Arthur, Galveston, Brownsville, Corpus Christi and Houston that it is a good thing for Washington to take over the next time?" Perry said. At the same time, he said, the federal government should shoulder most of the cost of disaster relief, including the bills incurred by states like Texas that are caring for storm evacuees.
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The National Governors Association has said that, while officials at all levels of government should better coordinate their response to disasters, the "possibility of the federal government pre-empting the authority of states or governors in emergencies ... is opposed by the nation's governors."
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http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/3402628
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