Disaster within a Disaster: Looking at Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Maria and the Covid-19 Pandemic as a Means to Improve the Federal Emergency Procurement System
Open AccessThis thesis will seek to use examples of some of the largest expenditures of emergency funding in recent times and develop a path forward to continuing the improvement of the emergency contracting system begun with the Post Katrina Emergency Reform Act and establish suggestions that further prevent fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer funds that results in the loss of life and property. In this thesis, I will begin with a background discussion of the current status of federal procurement laws under emergency conditions followed by an in-depth overview of the response of Federal Procurement after some of the most notable emergencies in recent United States’ history. By examining the inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Maria, and the Covid-19 pandemic, I will then move forward in suggesting alternatives to the piecemeal and reactionary response to federal emergencies to establish a baseline of emergency contracting that will apply universally to possible emergencies. Because our current procurement system is designed to move slowly to safeguard in normal operational times from fraud, waste and abuse, it is not fit to respond to some of the most pressing needs in trying times. By revamping and revitalizing the Stafford Act and other emergency authority, Congress can ensure that the taxpayer is protected from bad actors seeking to profit off the lack of oversight and structure during Emergency situations.
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