(L to R) Senator Landrieu & Outreach Center CEO Valerie Keller visit in the Senator's office immediately following yesterday's hearing.

Valerie Keller testified Thursday before a joint meeting of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery and the U.S. House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response to discuss FEMA's failure to distribute goods intended for hurricane victims. As Keller said in her testimony, "it is my hope that this Congressional examination will result in FEMA implementing systemic solutions for response and recovery to ensure the nation is better prepared to aid citizens in future times of crisis."

Keller testified on the Outreach Center's efforts providing supplies and services to thousands of families since the storms and said that in her capacity as co-chair of two state coalitions representing more than 300 agencies she has witnessed heroic efforts from community-based organizations and heard their similar frustrations with FEMA.

On July 14 Senator Landrieu along with representatives of the Louisiana Recovery Authority visited the Outreach Center to deliver rescued FEMA supplies including cookware, dinnerware, pillows, baby bottles, hand sanitizer, wash kits, visquine and health kits for men and women.

Keller told Congress the supplies hurricane victims needed for three years, the Outreach Center will now distribute in three weeks.

See below for more details and click here to view the hearing.

“If my house was on fire, and the Fire Department operated the same way that FEMA does, I would have to call and specifically request a rubber hose, a red fire truck and a dog with spots – all this before they would come to put out the fire,” Sen. Landrieu said. “I hope that with FEMA’s communication breakdown being exposed by CNN and now this hearing, the agency will learn a lesson. The next time a disaster strikes, FEMA needs to do more legwork to get critical supplies to victims in need.”

Today’s hearing joined Sen. Landrieu’s Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Disaster Recovery Subcommittee and the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response, chaired by Representative Henry Cuellar, D-Texas. Today’s hearing was called to ensure that donated goods are successfully delivered to survivors of catastrophes.

According to a CNN investigation last month, 121 truckloads worth $18.5 million of household goods, including basic kitchen supplies, were stored for two years before being shifted by FEMA to other agencies, including the departments of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs as well as 16 other states. Upon learning of CNN's investigation, Sen. Landrieu’s office immediately began working with the state and FEMA to recoup these critical supplies and send them to hurricane affected areas from Southwest to Southeast Louisiana.

The states of Texas and Arkansas and the U.S. Postal Service agreed to return supplies and they have already been delivered to hurricane survivors in need. Other federal agencies are also working with Sen. Landrieu’s office to coordinate similar returns.

LRA Executive Director Paul Rainwater testified that FEMA never contacted the LRA, under either the administrations of Governor Bobby Jindal or former Governor Kathleen Blanco, to let the recovery agency know the supplies in Texas existed. Instead, the General Services Administration (GSA) contacted the Louisiana Federal Property Assistance Agency, a small agency within the state government – well after FEMA determined the supplies were not needed. No notification was ever provided by FEMA or the GSA to indicate the supplies were intended for Katrina and Rita victims.

“I reject the notion that it is not clear that we had unmet needs in Louisiana – at the time hundreds of people were living in a homeless camp under the interstate in New Orleans and thousands of people were living in FEMA trailers,” Rainwater said. “A simple look outside would have shown immense struggling and poverty in hurricane-affected areas across our state.”

Rainwater also testified that the LRA sent a letter to FEMA’s Transitional Recovery Office, Household Establishment Funds asking for help with household goods.

“The working residents who lost everything they owned during the storms will be positioned to sustain their housing situation with a little assistance at the beginning of the process,” the letter said.

Sen. Landrieu questioned the FEMA official in charge of the supplies, Eric Smith, Assistant Administrator for Logistics Management. “Did anyone at FEMA contact the LRA?” she asked.

“Not that I’m aware of,” Smith replied. He also said area non-profits that FEMA works with regularly were not contacted to determine if the supplies were needed.

“How did you determine these items were not needed?” Sen. Landrieu asked.

“If they have a bonafide need, it’s their responsibility to pass that need on,” Smith said.

Valerie Keller, Chief Executive Officer of the Acadiana Outreach Center, also testified that she was never notified of these goods in storage.

“Our agency and others pulled meager funds from our pockets to purchase the very supplies that were in the inventory all along,” Keller said.

“When a catastrophic disaster strikes, it is FEMA’s job to be proactive and work with the states and non-profits that serve disaster victims,” Sen. Landrieu said. “Today’s hearing exposed FEMA’s broken communications link and the agency’s mindset that disaster victims should pick up the phone if they need something. My committee is working to reverse this stubborn mindset and ensure that FEMA’s link is stronger in the future.”
 
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