Congress’ top priority in dealing with the nation’s emergency response system should be to move the Federal Emergency Management Agency out of the Homeland Security Department and give it back control of its own budget and staff, former FEMA Director Michael Brown said in an interview Monday with National Journal Group reporters and editors. Brown, who resigned in September amid mounting criticism over how the federal government handled the response to Hurricane Katrina, said he fears FEMA is being dismantled within Homeland Security and will not be ready for the next major disaster, especially with a new hurricane season coming June 1. Full Story