Homeland Security Watch

Comment by William R. Cumming

March 31, 2009 @ 7:14 am

I would hope that the DHS budget gets through on its own and not part of any CR. That is one of the few props that have saved DHS the past 6 years. But it is interesting how little DHS uses the budget to assist in its policy initiatives. GAO released an interesting letter report on the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) and its funding deficiencies yesterday after being on hold for 30 days. I believe that entire program should be sent to NOAA to work the tough coastal issues together with the CZM program (Coastal Zone Management Act) for the mapping and mitigation piece. The insurance aspects of the program should go to the US Treasury (Which made policy for all federal insurance programs under the Clinton Administration–Ellen Seidman) and combined with the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (now should be considered permanent) and the Price-Anderson Act insurance for Nuclear Power Stations now housed improperly IMO at the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission). By the way the interplay of the Price-Anderson Act benefits to citizens and state and local governments and the Robert T. Stafford Act benefits has never been thoroughly documented and analyzed by DOJ or its top-notch legal advisors in its OLC shop. Let’s not delay compensation should there be a core-melt or other accident impacting off-site citizens. This should be done now. See contradictory findings of the President’s Commission on Response to a Catastrophic Nuclear Accident sent to Congress in teh early 90′s and NUREG 1437 (sic). Work to be done and as always NO Congressional oversight on key domestic crisis management and response systems.