At a House Transportation Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) questioned Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson about FEMA's response to flooding in Texas.
00:00Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I, too, was at the briefing that you were at, and it sounds like you and I share our disappointment in FEMA staff for pointing the finger at Governor Abbott and blaming Governor Abbott and his team for a late request for urban search and rescue help in this horrible disaster.
00:17But, as Mr. Richardson, I'm sure, knows, under federal law, under the national response framework, FEMA does not wait for a request from the local government.
00:31Under the national response framework, federal law requires FEMA to anticipate the needs of states in disasters, to coordinate proactively, and not to wait on the state's request for positioning resources.
00:47Mr. Richardson, were you aware that this is federal law for you to act proactively and not to wait for a request from Governor Abbott to pre-position resources?
00:58Thank you for the question, Mr. Stanton. The capability, indeed, was pre-positioned, and that's why I mentioned Texas Task Force 1. It was pre-positioned in Texas and ready to go.
01:13So, once again, that's a federally trained, federally equipped, and they were—
01:17Mr. Richardson, I've got to cut you off because I have a short bit of time.
01:20You need to talk to your staff because your staff was pointing the finger at Governor Abbott and saying the lack of urban search and rescue proactivity was based upon a late request from the governor's office.
01:32My belief, and it sounds like your belief, is that the requirement for you as the FEMA administrator is to—in light of the weather reports and how bad it was going to be—was to pre-position those urban search and rescue folks in advance.
01:48And I believe that FEMA has failed in that mission because there could have been a lot more urban search and rescue there later.
01:54They weren't there until 72 hours after the tragic incident.
01:58How many times have you met with President Trump since you've assumed this role?
02:02I have not met with President Trump.
02:03How many times have you spoken with President Trump one-on-one in your current capacity?
02:07I correspond with the president on a regular basis.
02:10Where were you on July 4th and July 5th of this year?
02:13On July 4th, I was on vacation.
02:16When did you return from your vacation?
02:18I returned the next day.
02:21So, on July 5th, you returned to Washington, D.C.
02:24I spent the entire vacation in my vehicle speaking on my phone to either the state of Texas or DHS coordinating for the events in Texas.
02:35Were you on the first plane back to Washington then from your vacation?
02:39I was in my truck with my two boys and myself.
02:44I was in my truck.
02:45I remained in my truck the whole time.
02:46When did you first learn of Secretary Noem's $100,000 sign-off policy, and did you warn her or anyone at DHS about the potential for delays in FEMA's ability to respond as a result of that policy?
03:00The secretary signs anything that comes across her decks nearly immediately without undue delay.
03:08And I never had a concern about the $100,000 memo.
03:12It never concerned me.
03:13I've never seen it cause any undue delay.
03:17The $100,000 sign-off policy did not delay your ability to proactively put forward resources, urban search and rescue resources, in place as soon as you knew about how bad the flood was.
03:33Under President Trump's leadership and Secretary Noem's leadership, their exceptional leadership, the support that was so critical to the people and the state of Texas on their worst day was on target, on time, and that is what they told me.
03:52That's what the president said.
03:54That's what the secretary said.
03:56Texas got what they needed when they needed it.
03:59So your lack of visibility in the hours and days and even week after this horrific flood that cost so many lives is shocking.
04:12Secretary Noem was very present.
04:14You were not.
04:16Did President Trump, Secretary Noem, or any official at the White House direct you to stand down during this crisis?
04:24I was in constant communication with the state of Texas, DHS, and the White House, handling the disaster immediately when I found out.
04:34And I remained so for the entire time.
04:37Constant communication with the emergency manager in the state of Texas, NIMKID, as well as Region 6, as well as communication with the White House and Secretary Noem.
04:48I was on full duty, full time.
04:50Mr. Richardson, you were nowhere near Texas at the critical moments in the search and rescue, and you did not even show your face for more than a week after the flood.
05:01You are the administrator of this critical agency.
05:05You're the leader, but you did not lead as you are required to by federal law.
05:10But worse, you seem uninterested to learn what went wrong and how to respond better.
05:16Do the victims and survivors in Texas deserve an apology?
05:23What happened in Texas was an absolute tragedy.
05:28It's hard to fathom.
05:29I went to Texas.
05:31I flew over.
05:32It was an absolute tragedy.
05:34My heart goes out to the people in Texas.
05:37I know that there was...
05:38That was intended as yes or no question, and I'll appropriately take that as a no.
05:42Mr. Chairman, this wasn't just incompetence.
05:47It wasn't just indifference.
05:50It was both.
05:52And that deadly combination likely cost lives.
05:56I yield back.
05:56It was...
05:57That was, okay, in Texas.
05:58I yield back.
05:58So, like now, you have?
05:59It was just risque of pet that you do.
05:59I was just thinking.
06:01It was like, yeah, yeah, it turns into safety.
06:02Can you come in?
06:02So, like that?
06:02And byongo continues, po undes groceries, I do believe this.
06:03Like this is not gonna come out.
06:05So, like those are not gonna come out.
06:06To the city though.
06:07I am here...
06:08Like they are trước to enjoy the wszemicas and the consent that motherfuckers.
06:09And if I pierce you there.
06:13üssel the animals you do not want them.
06:14So, like he does not nominees.
06:15We go to know?
06:16So, like, he does not deserve any algorithms.
