emse232

Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management

Crisis and Emergency Management

April 2008 Volume 14 - Number 3

Perspectives...

John McCain’s position on Emergency Management

By: Tomas Bracero

John McCain has been called the “most liberal” republican candidate, as his voting patterns are consistent with that of conservative democrats. McCain has voted against Bush’s tax cuts, amnesty for illegal aliens, and encourage emissions controls to curtail global warming. However, his voting pattern for funds in Emergency Management shows that he is a supporter of FEMA.

“Bureaucracies such as the hapless Federal Emergency Management Agency, whose limitations were exposed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, could use a dose of private-sector ingenuity and know-how, McCain has said.” [1]

McCain’s willingness to place large private-sector icons and billionaires into cabinet level positions regardless of party affiliation shows that he is willing to place faith in people who bring knowledge and private sector experience to get a job done. His acknowledgment of FEMA’s multiple failures in recent history leads me to believe that his position towards Emergency Management would be that of a supporter.

While McCain supports FEMA and Emergency Management, McCain is not a supporter of a national catastrophic insurance policy, as he clearly stated this in his campaigning stop in Florida. "I believe that this nation and federal government has an obligation to help out in any tragedy or natural disaster," McCain said during a round-table. "Very badly, we need to fix our ability to bring relief, help and assistance, both short term and long term, to the victims of disaster. That insurance policy is there, and it's called FEMA, and it's called disaster preparedness and it's called addressing disasters."

Nevertheless, he said of the Federal Emergency Management Agency: "I still do not have confidence that FEMA is capable of handling all of those responsibilities." [2] With this direct statement towards FEMA, his intent to improve it is clear. Making the Federal Emergency Management Agency work better is his main priority for dealing with all disasters, not just hurricanes.[3]

I personally contacted John McCain’s campaign and asked what his position is on Emergency Management and mitigation, and I did not receive a response, however, after reviewing statements from campaign trails and looking at voting records, I believe that McCain supports Emergency Management.

[1] http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-02-18-mccain-roosevelt_N.htm

[2] http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8UAGUT81&show_article=1&catnum=0

[3] http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/dcblog/national_catastrophe_fund/