Romney expresses support for FEMA

Miami, FL, United States (4E) – Republican nominee Mitt Romney is quickly abandoning his earlier suggestion that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) should be abolished in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

Romney on Wednesday voiced his support for FEMA to rebuff charges that he will remove funding for disaster relief when he becomes president.

In a statement, Romney said that FEMA has a crucial role in preparing and responding to natural disasters together with the states and localities.

For several days, Romney has been avoiding questions from the media about the topic.

The former Massachusetts governor, however, stopped short of praising the government’s disaster relief response and avoided questions about his remark last year during the Republican primary debate in New Hampshire that was interpreted by many as a call to scrap FEMA, which headed the recovery efforts after the superstorm.

Republican New Jersey governor Chris Christie did not help Romney’s cause either after he praised the president and FEMA’s handling of the crisis.

Romney made three campaign stops in Florida on Wednesday, aiming to reverse the slide in the polls after gaining significantly with his impressive first debate performance. A month ago, a New York Times poll showed he was ahead by seven points but a new survey released on Wednesday showed Obama now leading by a point.

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