FEMA's IT Budget May Take Hit

The federal government has freed up $62 billion in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but new reports suggest IT spending at the Department of Homeland Security – which includes the beleaguered Federal Emergency Management Agency – could end up being cut.

According to an article on the CIO website, the report from federal market research firm Input says the cuts could come as President Bush looks to halve the deficit by 2009. The report’s author Payton Smith says little of the money allocated to Katrina recovery is being used to improve FEMA’s IT infrastructure.

“It’s not like after 9/11, when the threats against the homeland led to an immediate push for better information sharing, including IT,” Smith told CIO.com. With FEMA, “it’s more of a management issue than a technology issue.”

However, the budget cuts are despite widespread criticism of FEMA’s IT systems following Katrina. CIO.com says a Government Accountability Office report released earlier this month said that FEMA’s IT systems repeatedly failed during four major hurricanes in 2004.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.cio.com/blog_view.html?CID=13296