By Mike Ward
The American-Statesman
AUSTIN — Texas’ emergency management officials received all the resources they asked for from the federal government as wildfires swept the state during the past year, but some of them criticized the tangle of red tape afterward, according to testimony Monday at a congressional hearing.
Even so, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, a Republican from Austin who has been critical of the federal response — especially in September’s Bastrop wildfires — insisted that federal officials can and should do better in the future.
“What happened in Texas this year is inexcusable and unacceptable,” said McCaul, who convened the hearing at the state Capitol. “The federal government stood by, taking almost a week to assist the local efforts at fighting the blaze. Nearby assets that could have stopped the fires sooner were tied up in red tape.”
Full story: Federal response to Bastrop fire questioned during House hearing