Virginia lawmakers discuss FEMA restructuring following deadly Texas flooding
'These people are like family to us, deep relationships,' said Governor Glenn Youngkin.
More than one hundred people have died in the Texas floods and at least as many are still missing.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and his family were in Texas at the start of the flooding. He says the Commonwealth, which regularly experiences flash flooding, has assisted in helping the Lone Star State.
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'The Commonwealth of Virginia has sent swiftwater rescue teams to go support them.' said Youngkin. 'You all know from the efforts we've had in order to manage natural disasters here, that the teams get tired.
The flooding comes amid talks by President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to either remake or wind down FEMA.
'[FEMA] is shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens,' according to a recent FEMA statement.
However, a New York Times report claimed FEMA did not answer thousands of emergency calls from Texans struggling during the flooding. Republican state lawmaker John McGuire said the communication issues began before Trump took office.
''If you do what you always did, you're going to get what you always got,' said Rep. John McGuire of Virginia's fifth district. 'We've all heard that phrase, right? The Biden Administration refused to help homes during the flooding from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.'
Not everyone in Congress shares McGuire's opinion. The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program, which helped local governments reduce hazard risks, was cut from FEMA in April.
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U.S. Senator Tim Kaine said FEMA provides a crucial service to Americans.
'If you didn't have that, and every state had to have their emergency management teams at kind of surge level to prepare for a hurricane it would be very wasteful,' said Kaine. 'So, I think it's actually a better bang for the buck.'
According to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, it is too early to think about what will happen if FEMA is restructured.
WFXR's Paul Hess contributed to this article.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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