MICHAEL T. MCCAUL. TEXAS CHAIRMAN BENNIE G. THOMPSON. MISSISSIPPI RANKING MEMBER (19m: i?unhreh i?uurteenth Gianni-Baa 13%. 33111152 uf {Repremntatiuea @nmmittre rm Humelanh Sveruritg EOE 211515 September 20, 2016 The Honorable W. Craig Fugate Administrator Federal Emergency Management Agency Department of Homeland Security Washington, DC. 20472 Dear Administrator Fugate: It is National Preparedness Month, and I write to express my concern regarding the ability of the American National Red Cross (Red Cross) to carry out its missions under the National Response Framework and the National Disaster Recovery Framework and to understand what actions the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is undertaking to ensure that the Red Cross is a reliable partner when disaster strikes. In 2014, ProPublica and National Public Radio (NPR) began publishing a series of damning reports that call into question Red Cross? ability to deliver basic disaster reSponse services. For example, in October 2014 ProPublica and NPR outlined a litany of failures during Red Cross? response to Hurricane Isaac and Hurricane Sandy, including that Red Cross struggled to care for special needs populations while carrying out its mass care responsibilities and lacked adequate amounts of food, blankets, batteries, and other supplies.1 Additionally, Red Cross diverted much?needed disaster relief resources to public relations activities.2 Two months later, ProPublica reported that despite Red Cross? inability to adequately meet the needs of disaster survivors following Hurricane Sandy, it refused to coordinate with Occupy Sandy, an organization ultimately heralded as ??one of the leading humanitarian groups providing relief to survivors across New York City and New Jersey. 1 Justin Elliot, Jesse Eisinger, and Laura Sullivan, ?The Red Cross? Secret Disaster,? ProPublica and NPR (Oct. 29, 2019), 2 Id. See also David M. Halb?nger, ?Anger Grows at Response by Red Cross,? New York Times (Nov. 2, 2012), 1:0 (describing the days-long delay in setting-up response operations throughout the New York City region). 3 Justin Elliott and Jesse Eisinger, ?How Fear Of Occupy Wall Street Undermined the Red Cross? Sandy Relief Effort,? ProPublica (Dec. 11, 2014), Unfortunately, Red Cross? disaster response failures are not limited to its 2012 response to Hurricanes Isaac and Sandy. In June 2015, local of?cials in Northern California relieved Red Cross of its mass care responsibilities following devastating wild?res because Red Cross? operations were disorganized and its staff inexperienced.4 Red Cross? disaster response de?ciencies in West Virginia following a chemical leak and tomados in 2015 were characterized by a local emergency manager as ?business as usual?, and the Red Cross? struggle to effectively coordinate with local emergency responders in the State are well-documented.5 Furthermore, a local emergency manager in Nebraska began writing Red Cross out of his county?s emergency response plans as early as 2013 and urged other emergency managers to do the same because the organization has become so unreliable.6 Red Cross? challenges have continued through 2016. This March, ?oods devastated parts of my home state of Mississippi. Although the Red Cross deployed, it seemingly failed to coordinate its efforts effectively with State and local emergency managers and ?rst responders. For example, volunteers initially responded by delivering clean-up kits to individuals who were not affected by the ?ooding, and the Red Cross failed to share information related to shelter sites with a local emergency manager.7 Ultimately, the State?s Emergency Management Director described Red Cross? response as ?marginal at best? and told his staff that Red Cross was unable to ?develop tactical plans for their relief operations.?8 Similarly, in response to the Red Cross? botched reSponses to massive ?ooding incidents in the spring when communities along the Mississippi River in Louisiana were devastated. In a post? mortem on the Red Cross? response, of?cials from local parishes stated that Red Cross did not respond to calls from local emergency managers, did not provide suf?cient emergency sheltering support, and did not communicate or coorrdinate effectively with communities partners, leaving survivors in a lerch.9 Despite meetings between the Red Cross and some local emergency managers in Louisiana, the issues identi?ed in the Red Cross? response to the March ?oodin went unresolved and emerged last month after another round of ?oods crippled Louisiana.I Furthermore, complaints emerged of volunteers volunteers using racial slurs against evacuees at shelters, lack of resources necessary to care for individuals with special needs, and general mismanagement of shelters. The cooperation with Red Cross and the State of Louisiana was so disappointing that Governor John Bel Edwards? administration indicated, ??the governor has expressed several concerns with the Red Cross? response to this storm . . . . Going forward, the Justin Elliott, ?The COrporate Takeover of the Red Cross,? ProPublica (Dec. 14, 2015), 5 Id. See Daniel Tyson, ?When Disaster Strikes, Local Of?cials Say Red Cross Nowhere to be Found,? Register? Hemld Reporter (Mar. 14, 2015), f4f?900f?9fl 6 Justin Elliot, ?The Cerporate Takeover of the Red Cross,? ProPublz?ca (Dec. 14, 2015), 7 Sarah Smith, ?After Mississippi Flooding, Red Cross Stumbles Again,? ProPubiiea (May 19, 2016), Id. 9 Sarah Smith, ?After Louisiana Flooding, the Red Cross Draws a Deluge of Cemplaints,? ProPublz?ca (Aug. 3, .1200 6), Id. 11 Megan Wyatt, ?Flood Victims Voice Concerns over Red Cross,? The Advertiser (Aug. 29, 2016), 0945 2 [S]tate intends to reevaluate its partnership with the Red Cross to ensure displaced citizens of any future disaster receive the best support possible. As you are aware, Red Cross? struggles to carry out its disaster response mission was highlighted following Hurricane Katrina.12 After Hurricane Katrina, Congress amended Red Cross charter in response to complaints about racial insensitivity by Red Cross volunteers toward disaster victims, Red Cross? challenges administering assistance evacuee populations, and mismanagement of relief funds.13 The legislation was intended to improve the Red Cross? ability to deliver disaster response services and improve accountability. Unfortunately, Congress? efforts to put Red Cross back on the right track after Hurricane Katrina by amending its charter have not yielded the response sought. To complicate matters, Red Cross aggressively resists meaningful independent oversight. In 2013, at my request, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) launched an investigation into how Red Cross carries out its disaster response activities. My inquiry was designed to ascertain basic information related to how the organization operates, including how it decides which goods and services to deliver communities impacted by disaster, how it partners with other disaster response organizations, and how it reviews its performance.14 The Red Cross essentially stonewalled GAO investigators and even requested that I cancel the investigation.? I rejected Red Cross? request. GAO ultimately found that, despite Red Cross? Congressional Charter, Red Cross is not subject to any regular, continuous oversight of its performance in disasters and that its approach to recovery has not historically been guided by standardized guidance.16 No Federal entity conducts comprehensive oversight of Red Cross? disaster relief activities and Red Cross has a limited, relatively unstructured internal review process.17 It is worth noting that, throughout the investigation, Red Cross refused to provide GAO with the information and documents necessary to adequately assess Red Cross? internal evaluation process.18 Nevertheless, all evidence indicates that important opportunities to address problems jeopardizing Red Cross? effective execution of disaster relief activities are being missed. Accordingly, historic struggles that have plagued Red Cross? disaster relief activities are doomed to persist, and disaster survivors will continue to pay the price. '2 See Committee on Homeland Security Democratic staff, ?Trouble Exposed: Katrina, Rita, and the Red Cross: A Familiar Story,? (on ?le with staff). 13 HR Rep. No. 110-87, 110? Congress, 1::1 Session (2007), 7-9. 14 The questions submitted to the GAO in my initial request letter were as follows: ?How is the nature and extent of the American Red Cross?s activities in disaster response and recovery determined?? and ?What oversight is the American Red Cross Subject to, and what is the nature and extent of that oversight?? Letter from Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson to Comptroller General Gene L. Dordaro (Sept. 13, 2013) '5 Letter from Ms. Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the American National Red Cross, to Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (June 30, 2014). Ms. McGovern also requested that additional oversight be conducted via cell phone rather than in writing. 16 GOVernment Accountability Office, ?American Red Cross: Disaster Assistance Would Benefit from Oversight through Regular Federal Evaluation,? at 7?9, 15, 31 (Sept. 2015). ?1d. at 7-9, 31. 18 Justin Elliot and Laura Sullivan, ?Senator: Red Cross Misled Congress, Refused To ?Level With the People? on Haiti Money,? ProPubZica and National Public Radio (June 16, 2016), 3 Under the National Preparedness System, the Red Cross is delegated important responsibilities related to disaster response and recovery. After every disaster, Americans are urged often by the Federal government - to direct donations to the Red Cross. In recent years, its poor performance in disaster response activities across the country has called into question Red Cross? ability to meet its responsibilities under the National Response Framework19 and the National Disaster Recovery Framework.20 Moreover, the repeated reports from ?rst responders of Red Cross? botched disaster responses present a disturbing trend?Red Cross is not a reliable disaster response partner. Pursuant to Rule and Rule XI of the House of Representatives, please respond to the questions below by September 23, 2016: 0 Please describe the relationship between the and the Red Cross during disaster relief activities. How does partnership with the Red Cross differ from its partnerships with other nongovemment disaster relief organizations? Is FEMA aware of the complaints related to Red Cross?s reSponse and recovery activities following Hurricane Isaac, Hurricane Sandy, the 2015 wild?res, the West Virginia chemical spill, and recent ?oods in Louisiana and Mississippi, among others? What, if any, actions has FEMA undertaken to ensure Red Cross will be a reliable disaster response partner? 0 As indicated above, there were reports that individuals working in Red Cross shelters in Louisiana used racial slurs and that the shelters were unable to accommodate individuals with special needs. What, if any, action have you taken in response to these complaints? 0 I understand that the Red Cross works with State and local governments to ensure that sheltering locations are compliant with mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act but have heard reports that Red Cross? assessment many not be thorough and accurate. Accordingly, shelters identified as ADA compliant may not be able to house disaster survivors with special needs. Are you aware of these complaints? How have you addressed them? 19 Under the Emergency Support Function (ESF) Annex to the National Response Framework, the American Red Cross has the following responsibilities: (1) ESF Information and Planning (support agency); (2) ESF #6 Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Temporary Housing, and Human Services (primary agency); (3) ESP #7 Logistics (support agency); (4) ESF #8 Public Health and Medical Support Services (support agency); (5) ESF #11 Agriculture and Natural Resources (support agency); and (6) ESF #15 (support agency). Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Response Framework, Emergency Support Function Annex, I 2. 30 Under the Recovery Support Function Annex to the National Disaster Recovery Framework, the Red Cross has the following responsibilities: (1) Health and Social Services (support agency); and (2) Housing (support agency); (3) Community Planning and Capacity Building. Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Disaster Recovery Framework, Recovery Support Functions, 3? 42 U.S.C. 12101. 0 Does FEMA participate in any after-action reviews of Red Cross? performance in disaster response and recovery activities? If so, please describe. I On December 14, 2015, ProPubZica reported that Red Cross had eliminated thousands of jobs and shut down hundreds of local chapters.22 Similar concems related to staf?ng levels and elimination of local chapters have been echoed since, and some have attributed Red Cross? disaster relief challenges to an insuf?cient presence in affected communities.23 0 Did Red Cross inform FEMA of its plans to close or consolidate local chapters and/or reduce or redistribute its staff? 0 In light of Red Cross? reduced presence across the country, has FEMA considered building stronger partnerships with other nongovernment organizations that might be better positioned to deliver disaster relief services where Red Cross cannot? If so, please describe this process. 0 Is FEMA con?dent that Red Cross has the personnel and management structure in place to be a reliable response partner in the diverse communities that make up the United States? a In light of complaints regarding Red Cross? disaster response and recovery performance, some of which have been described above, as well as statements out of Louisiana indicating that the State is reevaluating its relationship with the Red Cross, are you con?dent that Red Cross is a reliable response partner? Thank you for your timely attention to this important issue. If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Hope Goins, Chief Counsel for Oversight, at (202) 226? 2616. Sincerely, Bennie G. Thompson Ranking Member 22 Elliot, supra n. 4. 23 See Ruth McCambridge, ?Amid Questions of Responsiveness, Red Cross Mobilized in Louisiana,? Nonpro?t Quarterly (Aug. 16, 2016), cross?mobilizes?louisiana/ national consolidation of ARC chapters that has reduced their numbers by two-thirds has, in the opinion of some, left a presence too disconnected to respond quickly to calls for help in some areas?). See also Brian Sharp, ?Investigation: Red Cross Closures Lead to Cuts in Services, Dissatisfaction,? Rochester Den-iocrm and Chronicle (Sept. 1, 2016), (describing how one Red Cross chapter closed without informing its community partners and how the reduction in New York chapters from 35 in 2008 to 10 in 2015 is undermining its ability to carry out its various missions).