Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Chairman of this important Committee, will hold this hearing at my request to look into the lack of a federal response to the two terrible tornadoes that devastated Desha County, Arkansas, on February 24, 2007. 

These tornadoes destroyed or heavily damaged more than 150 homes; caused up to 800 people to be out of work because more than 25 businesses were destroyed or heavily damaged; required the Governor to send in the National Guard to enforce security and for clean up purposes; and forced the town to be without electrical power for six days.  In this small town of Dumas, with a population of more than 5,000, this level of damage and destruction is overwhelming. 

Over the past 11 days since these two tornadoes wrecked the communities of Dumas and Back Gate, FEMA has done nothing and President Bush still has not declared the county a federal disaster area.  Currently, there are 8,420 brand new, manufactured homes in Hope that could be going to help those families in need of temporary housing as the put their lives back together. This is a symbol of what is wrong with FEMA and why so many people have lost confidence in their government.

In a March 7, 2007, article from the Stephens Media Washington, DC Bureau, FEMA spokesman John Philbin was quoted referring to Desha County saying, “the damages or need for federal assistance are not readily apparent.”  In addition, according to CNN, FEMA claims that Arkansas’s budget surplus is a factor in determining if federal aid will be provided.  The job of FEMA is not means testing, but helping those in need. Their job is to act as a first responder to help Americans who are in need after a disaster.  These statements by FEMA are inexcusable I am looking forward to this important hearing to hold them accountable for their statements and their lack of actions. 

The House Committee on Homeland Security will hold the hearing on Thursday, March 15^th at 1:00 p.m. in Room 311 of the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC.

“I will not allow the people of Dumas, Back Gate and Desha County to be forgotten, and this is the next step in demanding accountability from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and our federal government,” Ross said. “It has been 11 days since these two tornadoes hit Desha County and FEMA has done nothing. This is a symbol of what is wrong with FEMA and why so many people have lost confidence in their government.”

The tornadoes that passed through Desha County, Arkansas, destroyed or heavily damaged more than 150 homes; caused up to 800 people to be out of work because more than 25 businesses were destroyed or heavily damaged; required the Governor to send in the National Guard to enforce security and for clean up purposes; and forced the town to be without electrical power for six days.  In this small town, with a population of more than 5,000, this level of damage and destruction has been overwhelming. 

In a March 7, 2007, article from Stephens Washington Bureau, FEMA spokesman John Philbin was quoted saying, “the damages or need for federal assistance are not readily apparent.”

President Bush still has not declared Desha County a federal disaster area, and Ross has been fighting to give displaced residents access to temporary housing.  Specifically, Ross has called on President Bush, Director of FEMA David Paulison and Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff to declare Desha County a Federal Disaster Area and to move 150 of the 8,420 new, fully furnished mobile homes sitting less than three hours away at a FEMA staging area in Hope, Arkansas, for displaced storm victims. 

Ross spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday night and again Wednesday afternoon about the lack of response from FEMA where he displayed photos from Desha County and an aerial shot of the 8,420 brand new, fully furnished mobile homes in Hope.  Ross, along with Arkansas elected officials and Desha County residents contributed to a CNN story on “Anderson Cooper 360” describing the lack of response for the hundreds of people affected by the tornadoes.

According to CNN, FEMA is still reviewing the situation in Desha County and among the actors they are looking at in the state’s budget surplus.

“The response from FEMA has been appalling and they must be held accountable for their statements and their lack of actions,” Rep. Ross said. “Since when did FEMA get in the business of ‘means testing’? Their job is to act as a first responder to help Americans who are in need after a disaster. The American people expect bureaucratic red tape from the IRS, but not from the government agency that is supposed to be there in time of disaster.”

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“Our farmers and ranchers provide this nation with an abundant supply of food, fiber, and potentially, energy,” Ross said. “These resources are not only agriculture issues, but national security issues which are why we must ensure that the 2007 Farm Bill includes provisions to help the agriculture community produce alternative and renewable energy.  This partnership must grow and flourish for the sake of our freedom, our security, and our prosperity in the world.”

The 2002 Farm Bill is up for reauthorization this year. Recently, Ross hosted an Agriculture town hall meeting In Pine

Bluff with Rep. Collin Peterson (MN-07), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, where over 200 farmers

attended to discuss the 2007 Farm Bill and its potential to develop alternative sources of energy. 

“Increasing the production of biofuels provides an amazing opportunity to change the face of the farming industry and trigger an ‘agriculture revival’,” Ross said. “I strongly believe that the agriculture industry in rural America can be the preeminent source of our nation’s renewable energy and the Delta region is well poised to become a national leader in that field due to our abundant supply of resources.”

Ross is a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and a former member of the House Agriculture

Committee, where he plays a key role to help remedy our nation’s energy crisis.

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