Richard K. Armey: “Mr. Chairman, there must be a reason why every firefighter organization in America has asked that FEMA be included in…”

“Mr. Chairman, there must be a reason why every firefighter organization in America has asked that FEMA be included in the Department of Homeland Defense, not only all the firefighters in this great land and all their organizations, but a dozen other professional emergency service organizations. Why is that? I think the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) gives us some insight into why that would be the case. Throughout all of the hearings we held, throughout that long day of the markup, the gentlewoman from California said repeatedly locality, locality, locality. When America is safe in our communities, America is safe. We know, we understand, we all intuitively grasp at some level and it is grasped at the most pain any acute level of understanding by the firefighters of America that this new threat we face, this insidious infliction that could be visited, yes, on my community or your community. Mr. Chairman, our firefighters know that this requires us to have a relationship with the Federal Government unlike we have had before, and when someone is in the local community and they think of the catastrophe that might come, be it a flood, a vicious storm or a vicious attack from somebody who hates our way of life, the local community is most comfortable with the agency they know, FEMA; FEMA with whom they share training, FEMA whom they know by name, FEMA whom they have seen in action before.”