Press release: “A report requested by Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, and Rep. Charlie Melancon finds that since 2002 (HHS Report, 96 pages, PDF), the effectiveness of the National Disaster Medical System – a key component of the nation’s emergency response capacity — has been eroded by mismanagement, bureaucratic reshuffling, and inadequate funding. As a result, when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, the system was unprepared, resulting in major failures in the medical response.”