NEW BRIEF – Gulf officials endorse FEMA pick
Published 11:36 pm Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The governors of Mississippi and Alabama and Louisiana’s top emergency official all endorsed the Obama administration’s choice to lead FEMA into the next hurricane season.
Speaking at a tri-state hurricane conference Wednesday in Biloxi, the officials praised the appointment of Craig Fugate as FEMA’s director. Fugate, meanwhile, appears on a fast track for Senate confirmation.
However, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said his state counts on local officials as the first line of defense when a hurricane strikes.
Mark Cooper, director of Louisiana Homeland Security, agreed with Barbour that federal officials should allow more flexibility in spending of disaster mitigation funds.