|
COMMITTEES: | ||
|
United States Senate |
May 31, 2023
President Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Mr. President:
As tomorrow marks the official start to the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season, I write to request that the administration conduct a thorough review of all existing federal regulations that can be relaxed to yield more effective and well-organized hurricane relief and response efforts. The 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season saw 14 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and two major hurricanes, including Hurricane Ian, which devastated Florida last September. We must focus on addressing continuing bureaucratic inefficiencies to ensure a more robust federal response for the next disaster, particularly as the State of Florida continues to recover from last year’s tropical cyclones. Streamlined efforts across the federal government are of critical importance to the success and timeliness of disaster response.
For too many Americans, the disaster recovery process is needlessly complex and disjointed. I urge you to cut unnecessary and duplicative regulations, which disadvantage communities and individuals recovering from natural disasters. Burdensome rules may impede rebuilding and recovery in the aftermath of natural disasters. Individuals, businesses, local governments, and nonprofit organizations in Florida must be free to focus on safe preparations and post-recovery activities without bearing the burden of arduous federal regulations that may inadvertently amplify obstacles to recovery.
In times of disaster, Americans come together to overcome daunting challenges to rebuild and recover. A thoughtful assessment and revision of bureaucratic mandates that impede disaster recovery efforts is necessary to address victims’ health and safety needs effectively. Some examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must improve coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DoD) when a major disaster declaration is issued, and use its authorities to the maximum extent possible to efficiently provide aid to persons and populations in need.
- The DoD should use existing authorities to rapidly repair damage to installations that are regularly impacted by natural disasters, and create a list of installations that are more prone to being threatened or damaged by natural disasters.
- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) should move to ensure that veterans living in rural areas, such as the Florida Panhandle and the Florida Keys, have a full suite of
