FederalDaily.com > AFGE Calls for Changes at FEMA

FederalDaily - February 17, 2006

AFGE Calls for Changes at FEMA

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has lost a number of capable and experienced staff members and suffers from ineffective top-level management, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) said in a statement on Wednesday. AFGE called for FEMA to be re-established as a stand alone agency, instead of falling under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Leo Bosner, president of AFGE Local 4060, stated, “FEMA is hemorrhaging capable staff who served the American people for years. In some instances vacancies have not been filled, while in other cases inexperienced individuals lacking any relevant experience have been hired into critical emergency management roles.” AFGE made several recommendations for improving the agency, including:

appointing emergency management experts to leadership positions;

revamping the National Response Plan to make it more practical and flexible;

staffing three emergency support teams; and

granting employees flexibility with respect to emergency preparation and response.

Clinton Addresses Body Armor and Troop Finances

The Army still needs to address inadequate body armor and financial troubles for wounded soldiers, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., said in a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting this week. Clinton questioned Army officials about delays in providing sufficient body armor to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. She also brought up the issue of wounded soldiers being saddled with repayment obligations. Further, last week Clinton sent a letter to Army Secretary Francis Harvey asking what steps the department took to address overpayments. She cited recent reports that 5,500 wounded soldiers experienced payroll problems. Specifically, Clinton asked for information on the following:

the number of troops affected by overpayments;

oversight to ensure the debt forgiveness process is fair; and

benchmarks to measure progress.

Senators Defend NASA Whistleblower

With recent news in The New York Times and other publications suggesting that NASA officials are censoring climate specialist Dr. Jim Hansen, on Tuesday Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., sent a letter to NASA Administrator Dr. Michael Griffin asking about the allegations. According to previous allegations, Hansen and other scientists have been directed to adjust their work and public statements to reflect administration priorities. “It is imperative that scientific findings regarding the impacts of increased atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations—and all other scientific matters—be communicated on a timely basis without any form of censorship,” the letter said. Collins and Lieberman requested NASA’s policies on information sharing between scientists and policymakers as well as clarification of independence given to scientists.

DoD Changes Equipment Reimbursement Policy

The Department of Defense (DoD) updated its policy for reimbursing servicemembers involved in military operations who privately purchased protective equipment, DoD officials announced this week. David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, signed a Feb. 10 memorandum that expanded the list of qualified equipment and extended the eligible purchase period. The list of reimbursable equipment now includes:

ballistic vests,

most component parts of ballistic vests,

helmets,

ballistic eye protection,

hydration systems,

gloves,

knee pads,

elbow pads,

bed insect netting,

insect repellant, and

reflective vests.

As required by the 2006 National Defense Authorization Act, the eligible purchase period begins Sept. 11, 2001, and ends April 1, 2006, rather than July 31, 2004.