"I applaud the efforts of law enforcement, the international community and DHS for uncovering this massive threat. Americans and our allies are safer for it.

"However, this question remains, ‘What if a major hurricane was bearing down on the United States as this crisis unfolded?’ I do not disagree that preventing an attack on the United States has to be one of our highest priorities, but disasters can also strike at any time and we need to have the resources and personnel to handle both simultaneously. Under our current system, the Secretary is in charge of disaster response and, as we saw during Katrina, thousands of lives depend on the decision of our nation’s top disaster official. Indecision and delays could cost lives. Could senior DHS officials, including Secretary Chertoff, split their time effectively between both crises?

"Today’s uncovering reemphasizes my long-held position and the findings of the Select Katrina Committee that FEMA should be wholly responsible for preparing for and managing disasters under the toughest conditions. We need a system where the Secretary of Homeland Security can focus all his efforts on preventing the next terrorist attack and the FEMA Director prepares for and responds to the next disaster. Both jobs are too important to be a second priority.

"DHS has been successful in terrorism prevention since 9/11. The proof is that there have been no attacks on our homeland. But the evidence says something else when we look at DHS and its emergency management capacity. It’s hypothetical to envision a hurricane or another disaster striking at the same time as a major terrorism threat, but it is in no way improbable. In order to ensure both terrorism prevention and preparation for a disaster can be performed simultaneously, FEMA should return to a stand alone agency reporting directly to the President to avoid hierarchical delays when time means life or death."