As a member of Congress, how would you work to ensure that the necessary resources would get into the state?

We need trained professionals, not political appointees, to run these important disaster relief agencies. And we need Congress to properly fund FEMA and Homeland Security. Cut out the politics; people’s lives are at stake. Use experts to help set funding levels. As Congressman, I plan to ask the right questions quietly before the disaster, not in front of a television camera after the disaster.

Then, make local plans and coordinate within the local areas, but also set larger geographic plans. Local rescue services will not be fully functioning after a large disaster. We saw that clearly in New Orleans, where local services evaporated. I also saw that years before, during Hurricane Hugo in the Virgin Islands. Consequently, there have to be plans to bring in assistance immediately from outside predictable disaster areas. That is especially true for our island communities. Skilled responders, sufficient supplies, no delays and no excuses.