"I would urge Ron Paul and any critics of FEMA to come to Vermont," the state's governor said earlier today on The Takeaway.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Gov. Peter Shumlin (D), has "an A-team" on the ground in his state, which was crushed by Hurricane Irene-related flooding this week.
As we reported earlier this week, Texas Rep. Paul (a 2012 Republican presidential contender) says FEMA does more harm than good, even in the immediate aftermath of disasters such as Irene, because "all they do is come in and tell you what to do and [what you] can't do" and add billions of dollars to the federal deficit.
Asked about Paul's comments, Shumlin said that the congressman should "look in the eyes of Vermonters who've lost their homes, who've lost their businesses, who've seen their husbands and children killed by the storm and see the kind of response that FEMA is giving us."
Then federal lawmakers, Shumlin said, should "stop the partisan bickering, stop the politicking, get FEMA the funds they need to respond."
He said he has spoken with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), governors throughout New England and to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). "Everyone agrees that FEMA's doing their job," Shumlin said.
The Takeaway is "a co-production of PRI (Public Radio International) and WNYC Radio in collaboration with the BBC World Service, The New York Timesand WGBH Boston."
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA3MzEzNjc2MDEzMDI2Mzc4OTc4NTFmNg001))
