Senior Administration Officials Visit Tennessee to Support Response and Recovery Efforts

WASHINGTON—President Obama has dispatched senior officials from across the federal government to visit Tennessee as the Administration continues its swift, aggressive response to severe weather and flooding in the state. 

Cabinet Secretaries and other senior officials from the Departments of Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, and Homeland Security as well as the Small Business Administration and United States Navy are in the state today and will be in the coming days as part of an ongoing all-hands-on-deck effort to support state and local response and recovery efforts.  This week, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate is already in the midst of his second trip to the state since last weekend’s storms.

The following travel is scheduled for today and the days ahead:

FRIDAY MAY 7
• FEMA Administrator Fugate is in Tennessee for the second time this week, visiting Memphis, Humbolt and Dyersburg, to meet with local officials and tour impacted communities to ensure they are getting everything they need.  Yesterday, Fugate was also in Nashville where he met with Governor Phil Bredesen and Mayor Karl Dean.
• Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus Secretary is in Tennessee to visit the Naval Air Station at Millington, which has been hit hard by flooding. 

SATURDAY MAY 8
• Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will travel to Nashville to be briefed by FEMA Administrator Fugate and state, local, and federal officials on the state of damage and response efforts and tour impacted areas.

SUNDAY MAY 9
• Assistant Secretary for Economic Development at Commerce John Fernandez will travel to Memphis. 

MONDAY MAY 10
• Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan will travel to Nashville and Memphis.

TUESDAY MAY 11
• Small Business Administration Administrator Karen Mills will travel to Nashville.

The Obama Administration has been deeply involved in response and recovery efforts since before the storms hit.  On Saturday, FEMA was on the ground in Tennessee and by Monday President Obama had personally spoken to Governor Bredesen and dispatched Administrator Fugate to Tennessee.  On Tuesday, the President approved a federal disaster declaration for Tennessee that includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster in the impacted counties. Yesterday, President Obama received another comprehensive briefing from Assistant to the President for Homeland Security John Brennan and directed Mr. Brennan to ensure that the federal government continues to respond swiftly to any requests for further assistance and requested ongoing updates on the situation.

As response and recovery efforts continue, the President and his administration will remain fully engaged and work to ensure that the state is getting everything it needs from the federal government.