An investigation and ultimately a report by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

They want FEMA to be an independent organization within DHS, responsible for preparedness and response and reporting directly to the President in times of emergency. In other words the Senate is content to move the chairs around on the deck of the Titanic.

Why Congress is not more interested in waste and delays in the federal response program is more of a concern to me. Programs like cash, blue roof, hotels, debris, trailers, and on and on ad nauseum all need to be overhauled. The lousy engineering and maintenance on the part US Army Corps of Engineers and its lack of understanding about the vital nature of the wetlands including their relationship to the levees needs to be investigated and fixed. The relationship of the Army Corps to Congress and the appropriations process is something Congress can and should fix.  Finally FEMA's slowness in releasing new floodplain maps is impeding recovery and needs to be addressed. Finally in August 2007 we have maps that show what flooding to expect now and after authorized levee repairs are finished in 2011 from three intensities of storm (50, 100, and 500 year ) hitting the city.

Now we see three major reports based on Senate, House and Executive Branch investigations. They are overlapping. They lack focus on what that particular branch of government is capable of doing, typically containing a bunch of recommendations for others to follow (if they so choose). And ultimately they miss the big issues like the ongoing relationship between the Executive Branch and the Congress.