did Brown need congressional approval?? Freeper in my office wants to know

[geekgrrl]

[Horse with no Name]

1. Nope.

He had Presidential Authority.

[hippiechick]

2. Didn't he say during a press conference

"I serve solely at the pleasure of the President" or some such arrogant blather ?

This one gets pinned 100% on Chimpy.

[nyhuskyfan]

3. Senate approval. Yes.

Obviously, that wasn't a terribly successful venture.

[nyhuskyfan]

5. Do you mean to be appointed? Or to act in Katrina?

He needed senate approval to be appointed.

[txaslftist]

4. He WAS confirmed in his job by congress, though.

[October]

7. Lieberman was involved. Everyone duck...here it comes.

They'll be spinning this in no time.

[jjmalonejr]

8. I think he was confirmed to the Deputy Director job...

...not the top job that he got when Allbaugh left.

By that time, FEMA was under DHS.

Anyone confirm this?

[nyhuskyfan]

10. I stand corrected. It was a senate committee, not the whole senate...

The Senate Committee on Government Affairs

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=107_senate_hearings&docid=f:81311.wais

[Dogmudgeon]

6. No.

FEMA has full executive power in any emergency.

There is a whole string of Public Laws that specifically give them, and the President, all the power they require. And the President, at the top of that chain, is the Maximum Boss.

No equivocations necessary.

Interestingly, Conservatives have been quite concerned about these powers. They seem to have developed mass collective amnesia right about August 25th of this year.

--p!

[izzie]

9. I think so and some one said he should not be put in.

I just never keep up with all those groups checking people out. They are always on C-span

[cynatnite]

11. Wasn't Allbaugh confirmed, then...

after FEMA was rolled into DHS, Brown was just put there with no congressional oversight?

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. First they say that everybody the President chooses should be confirmed

Then they say "Hey, how come the Senate approved him"?!? Are you fucking kidding me? Anything to get it off Bush. Anything!

Laughable and despicable.

[Enraged_Ape]

13. What? To act or to be confirmed for the position?

I think you need bicameral approval to get into the position, but once you're there, you're part of the executive branch, baby. As long as you're not declaring war or breaking treaties (both of which Bush does with impunity anyway), you're on your own.

No, the responsibility for this colossal FEDERAL screwup rests very much on the shoulders of the head of the FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY and the fool who appointed him.