FEMA's Brown Faces Destruction, Criticism

On Friday, shortly after Brown contended that "people are getting the help they need," President Bush offered a different assessment, saying the level of relief was unacceptable. Later, the president praised Brown during a tour of Alabama, telling him, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."...

Others point out that in the past, the FEMA director answered directly to the president, but as one of 22 agencies and departments in Homeland Security since 2003, Brown must work through the department's secretary, Michael Chertoff.

FEMA took a battering for its sluggish response to Hurricanes Andrew and Hugo. After President Clinton took office in 1993 he revamped the agency, placing James Lee Witt, the former Arkansas emergency service chief, in charge.

The agency later won praise for its vigorous reaction to Midwest floods and the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles.

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