Natural Disaster Preparedness and Response

As a member of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, & Recovery on the House Committee on Homeland Security, my vision is to build a secure and resilient nation that can prevent, mitigate and respond to disasters.

As your Representative, I secured a victory for the protection and welfare of children and our nation’s future. My bill, the Homeland Security for Children Act, was signed into law on June 6, 2022. This bill will ensure that our children’s needs are met during natural disasters and terrorist attacks. Through this law, K-12 schools and child-care facilities across the nation will have the necessary plans for evacuation, family-child reunification, and children with special needs. This will guarantee an effective and inclusive disaster response.

The landscape of threats is ever evolving, and climate change is making natural disasters more frequent, intense, and destructive. The true test of our emergency preparedness is mitigating the worst impacts of disasters before they occur. We know that for every dollar spent on mitigation, six dollars are saved in future disaster losses. Therefore, I introduced legislation to identify and incorporate cost-effective strategies to mitigate natural disasters.

Disasters disproportionately impact socially vulnerable low-income families, people of color, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. I am committed to making equity the cornerstone of our emergency management. That is why I have cosponsored legislation to identify and reduce barriers to accessing FEMA programs.

Continuity through clear and concise communication during emergencies is at the core of emergency management and preparedness. The DHS Interoperable Communications Act, which passed Congress and was signed into law in 2015, charges the DHS’ Under Secretary for Management with maintaining interoperable communications among the components of the Department. This bill has ensured Department-wide interoperable communication capabilities are a general necessity for safeguarding DHS personnel and the communities they serve.

Lastly, I believe that FEMA’s strength lies in its workforce, particularly the hardworking reservists who deploy immediately to respond to disasters. Due to their duty, these reservists risk losing their civilian occupations and sources of income. By cosponsoring legislation to extend Uniformed Service protections to them, I have fought to guarantee that they are granted the employment and re-employment privileges they deserve.