Davis Chosen to Lead Katrina Panel

Hoping to diffuse controversy over a special Congressional panel charged with investigating the federal government's shortcomings in the response to Hurricane Katrina, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert has tapped local Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) to be the panel's leader. The panel has been a flashpoint of debate in recent days, with Congressional Democrats claiming it would "whitewash" what have come to be perceived as substantial failures in the federal response to the storm and its aftermath.

Davis, who represents a swath of Northern Virginia encompassing Fairfax and Prince William counties, is seen as a nominally independent Republican who has used his perch as the chairman of the House Government Reform Committee to promote local causes. In late April, Davis, a longtime supporter of District voting rights, introduced legislation that would grant the District a full voting member in the House, and more recently he proposed using $1.5 billion in federal funds for capital improvements in Metro. Davis also put a quick stop to a proposal by Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-Tex.) to rename 16th Street "Ronald Reagan Boulevard," and came under fire for insinuating that Congress would take actions against Major League Baseball if the Washington Nationals were sold to a bidding group that includes billionaire George Soros, a prominent anti-Bush financier.

In a recent press release, Davis, pictured above, expressed concern over the federal response to Katrina, stating,

My staff and I have spent much of the past week examining the aftermath of this tragic natural disaster. It has become increasingly clear that local, state, and federal government agencies failed to meet the needs of the residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Now it's our job to figure out why, and to make sure we are better prepared for the future.