Washington, DC, January 19, 2021 – Today, the SmarterSafer Coalition released the following statement on President-Elect Joe Biden’s intent to nominate Deanne Criswell as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator.
“The SmarterSafer Coalition congratulates Deanne Criswell for her nomination to serve as FEMA Administrator under President-Elect Biden’s incoming administration. If confirmed, Ms. Criswell will serve as the first woman in the role and inherit an institution historically focused on disaster response. As climate change increases the incidence and intensity of natural disasters, the need for pre-disaster mitigation and resilience must become a cornerstone of FEMA’s agenda. Such a move would ensure that FEMA is aligned with the broader climate-focused platform being established by President-elect Biden. Investing in these efforts drastically reduces the impact and cost of natural disasters, with an estimated savings to taxpayers of up to $6 for every $1 spent on mitigation. We also encourage Ms. Criswell to focus on much-needed reform of the National Flood Insurance Program, a central part of the federal disaster response apparatus that helps communities across the nation and more than five million homeowners that reside in flood-prone areas.
We are confident that Ms. Criswell will add an important voice to the administration-wide climate policy conversations encouraged by President-elect Biden. As a diverse coalition dedicated to disaster prevention in communities across America, we look forward to working with Ms. Criswell and the new FEMA leadership team to prioritize resiliency efforts and common-sense solutions to climate change over the next four years.”
SmarterSafer.org is a national coalition made up of a diverse chorus of voices united in favor of environmentally responsible, fiscally sound approaches to natural catastrophe policy that promote public safety. SmarterSafer members include taxpayer advocates, environmental groups, insurance interests, housing organizations, and mitigation advocates.
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