A Senate proposal to replace the Federal Emergency Management Agency with a new agency in the Homeland Security Department is unnecessarily complicated, and might not even fix its problems.

Rather than re-invent the wheel, Congress should restore the independent, Cabinet-level status under which FEMA successfully operated before it was submerged into the department in 2003.

The switch cost FEMA high-level attention and essential resources.

Restoring FEMA's independence doesn't mean the agency couldn't work effectively with Homeland Security in the event of a terrorist attack. It does mean, however, that FEMA's efforts to deal with natural disasters would be less likely to be marginalized in a department focused on protecting Americans from terrorists.

— The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel