U.S. House Committee members have urged the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) not to proceed with the reported plan of the administration of President Donald Trump to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The members identified that last month, Secretary Kristi Noem announced during a March cabinet meeting, “We’re going to eliminate FEMA” contradicting her previous commitment at her nomination hearing to ‘enhance our emergency preparedness and strengthen FEMA’s capabilities.’
In a letter to Noem, Bennie G. Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi and ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security; Rick Larsen, a Democrat from Washington and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member; Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut and Appropriations Ranking Committee Member; Maxine Waters, a Democrat from California and Financial Services Ranking Committee Member; and Zoe Lofgren, another Democrat from California and Science, Space and Technology Committee member wrote that “FEMA is the only Federal agency with the sole responsibility for helping communities across the country before, during, and after disasters.”
The members mentioned their alarm about the mounting reports of FEMA being dismantled and the ongoing steps the agency is taking to fire employees and take funding from disaster recovery and preparedness grants that improve communities across the nation.
The letter highlighted the plans of the federal administration to dismantle FEMA will make Americans less safe. “Congress, in collaboration with stakeholders and informed by the lessons learned from large-scale disasters and emergencies like Hurricanes Andrew, Katrina, Sandy, and Maria, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks, has built a framework from which FEMA operates critical programs that serve as a lifeline to communities after disasters and emergencies.”
They observed that any attempt by the Trump administration to dismantle FEMA would erode Federal capabilities; leave States, locals, Tribes, and territories vulnerable; and cause imminent danger to Americans.
The members also mentioned in their letter that Noem’s actions as Secretary have been hostile to the FEMA workforce and the States, locals, Tribes, and territories that the agency supports through congressionally mandated programs. “Hundreds of FEMA staff have been fired with more expected, which would decimate the Agency. These firings are occurring against the backdrop of an already strained workforce, as FEMA continues to face longstanding staffing shortages in the face of increasingly severe weather.”
The letter said that FEMA has also unlawfully withheld critical, congressionally appropriated grant funding from local communities.
In January, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum instructing federal agencies to halt the obligation and disbursement of federal financial assistance that benefits millions of Americans. However, the federal courts intervened at the time and issued temporary restraining orders against the funding freeze. The OMB then rescinded the memo that had mandated a ‘temporary pause’ on federal funding, a directive that had caused significant confusion nationwide.
Late February, a coalition of State attorneys general filed a motion alleging that despite court orders, FEMA persisted in blocking grant program funding, including funding for wildfire prevention, flood mitigation, and disaster preparedness. “On March 6, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., issued a ruling reinforcing his previous orders to block the Trump administration’s freeze on Federal funding. On April 4, Judge McConnell found that FEMA was continuing to violate the court’s orders and ordered FEMA to comply immediately.”
“Your actions with respect to FEMA are contrary to your own sworn testimony, and you are putting lives at risk and hurting our Nation’s ability to respond to disasters and other Emergencies,” the members pointed out. “Therefore, we urge you to immediately cease all discussions or policy changes that would result or effectuate the elimination or weakening of FEMA. We also urge you to immediately comply with court orders and release all grant funds owed by FEMA to States, locals, Tribes, and territories.”
It is evident that the plans of the Trump administration for FEMA remain unclear.
In a March Executive Order, the President prescribed that within 240 days of the date of this order, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), in coordination with the heads of relevant agencies and informed by the reports and findings of the FEMA Council established under the President’s earlier January Executive Order, shall review all national preparedness and response policies and recommend to the President the revisions, recissions, and replacements necessary to reformulate the process and metrics for Federal responsibility, move away from an all-hazards approach, and implement the National Resilience Strategy.
Last week, the U.S. House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection reviewed the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP), which is up for reauthorization this year. Witnesses noted that although the program is operational, it may need adjustments to boost its effectiveness. Managed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and FEMA, the SLCGP’s current impact was assessed. Subcommittee members also explored potential collaborations with the federal administration to strengthen state and local governments’ preparedness and resilience against cyberattacks.
