It's been nearly a year since Hurricane Ian struck, and our discussions centered on assessing how the federal government's support systems have assisted local entities - from governments to families - in their recovery journey. We heard from both local and federal officials including a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Federal Coordinating Officer for Hurricane Ian, an Associate Administrator at the Small Business Administration (SBA), and a Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Lee County, Florida County Commissioner, and the Mayor of Fort Myers, Florida.
The complexity of a federal disaster response is immense. It involves the coordinated efforts of many agencies like FEMA, SBA, and HUD. While these agencies work hard towards recovery, challenges remain. Our hearing exposed serious frailties in the federal agencies’ disaster response in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Improving communication as to relief sources, refining application processes, and ensuring taxpayers' resources are well-protected are among the priorities.
The collaborative nature of the disaster response, involving multiple federal agencies, state and local governments, businesses, NGOs, and citizens, can sometimes be its biggest challenge. There's room to refine our interagency approach for the benefit of the affected communities. |
Pflugerville stands out as a beacon of economic growth and innovation. Entrepreneurs, start-ups, and businesses are quickly moving and choosing to call this community home. 
In addition to securing our southern border, I also discussed the necessity of ensuring the federal government transitions back to in-person work. COVID-era telework policies have resulted in slowed and inefficient federal operations. This week, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (KY-1), Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-3), and I renewed our initial request on May 18, 2023 to federal agencies for documents and information to conduct oversight over telework and remote work rates and policies. The fact of the matter is many individuals employed at federal agencies do not show up at the office, crippling the efficacy and efficacy of work done on behalf of the American people. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce, it is my duty to push for a return to in-person work to ensure productivity within the workforce post-COVID. It 
