DHS says FEMA head was joking when he said he wasn't aware of hurricane season
Acting Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator David Richardson was joking when he said at a meeting Monday that he was not aware of the upcoming hurricane season, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
Reuters reported that Richardson said at a briefing that he was not aware the United States has a hurricane season, confusing staffers. The report, which said it was unclear if Richardson was serious or joking, cited four unnamed sources familiar with the situation.
'Despite meanspirited attempts to falsely frame a joke as policy, there is no uncertainty about what FEMA will be doing this Hurricane Season. FEMA is laser focused on disaster response, and protecting the American people,' a spokesperson for DHS said. The spokesperson added that Richardson is 'activated in preparation for Hurricane Season.'
Richardson took the reins at FEMA last month. The previous acting administrator, Cameron Hamilton, was removed from his job after he told lawmakers at a congressional hearing that he did not believe the agency should be eliminated. DHS has denied that Hamilton's ouster was related to his testimony.
FEMA is responsible for coordinating the government's emergency response to areas affected by natural disasters, such as hurricanes. Hurricane season runs from June through November. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted there is a 60% chance of an above-normal season this year, during which the United States could get six to 10 hurricanes, three to five of which could be 'major.'
Democrats blasted Richardson following the report about the meeting.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., referred to the Reuters report when he wrote on X, "And I'm unaware of why he hasn't been fired yet."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., also took aim at Richardson, writing on X, "Bare minimum requirement for the leader of FEMA: know when hurricane season is."
President Donald Trump and his allies have repeatedly floated the idea of terminating the emergency disaster agency.
During a visit to North Carolina in January to survey the damage of Hurricane Helene, which swept across the state late last year, Trump suggested overhauling or doing away with FEMA, calling it 'very bureaucratic' and 'very slow.'
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has also suggested that FEMA should be eliminated. But without an alternative plan and with hurricane season approaching, Noem has also quietly made efforts to keep the agency running, sources familiar with the situation have told NBC News.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
6 minutes ago
- Fox News
Family of Boulder firebombing suspect taken into federal custody, visas revoked: sources
The family of a Boulder, Colorado, firebombing suspect is in federal custody and their visas have been revoked, sources confirm to Fox News. According to senior sources within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the wife and five children of 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman were taken into custody. A senior State Department official confirmed to Fox News that all visas for the Soliman family have been revoked. In a statement provided by the senior official, the department emphasized its commitment to national security, saying, "The Secretary did exactly what he said he would — support the administration's objective of getting terrorists and their family members out of America." The family is being processed for expedited removal, sources said. In a statement on X Tuesday afternoon, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said her agency is investigating his family to identify "to what extent" they knew about the alleged attack. "Mohamed's despicable actions will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, but we're also investigating to what extent his family knew about this horrific attack," Noem said in the X post. "If they had any knowledge of it or if they provided any support to it." Soliman is an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa after entering the U.S. during the Biden administration, three DHS and ICE sources told Fox News. Soliman first arrived in the U.S. after landing at Los Angeles International Airport Aug. 27, 2022, with a non-immigrant visa. He was authorized to stay through Feb. 2, 2023, but never left. On Sept. 9, 2022, he filed a claim with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. On March 29, 2023, Soliman was granted work authorization, which was valid through March of this year. Victims and witnesses observed Soliman throw what appeared to be a glass bottle, which burst upon impact, creating large flames, toward a crowd of peaceful pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder Sunday, authorities said. Twelve people were injured in the attack. None of the victims have died. Now facing a litany of charges, including multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault and possession of incendiary devices, Soliman is being held on $10 million bond. Judicial District Attorney Michael Dougherty outlined the severe potential penalties Soliman faces if convicted on all charges related to the alleged June 1 attack. He faces 16 counts of attempted first-degree murder – eight for attempted murder with intent and deliberation and eight for attempted murder with extreme indifference. If he's convicted and sentences are ordered to run consecutively, he could face a maximum of 384 years in state prison for those charges alone. In addition, Soliman is charged with two counts of use of an incendiary device, which could add up to 48 years if served consecutively. He also faces 16 counts of attempted use of an incendiary device, carrying a potential additional 192 years. In total, the maximum possible sentence could reach 624 years if all convictions are handed down and run consecutively. Along with charges at the state level, he has also been federally charged with a hate crime involving actual or perceived race, religion or national origin. His next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, June 5, at 3:30 p.m. MT.
Fox News
7 minutes ago
- Fox News
Biden-appointed judge blocks deportation of Boulder attack suspect's family despite visa violations
In an emergency ruling, a Biden administration-appointed federal judge in Colorado halted the deportation of the wife and five children of Mohamed Soliman, the Egyptian national under federal investigation for the Boulder firebombing attack. The temporary restraining order (TRO), issued by U.S. District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher, prevents federal immigration authorities from removing Soliman's wife, Hayem El Gamal, and the couple's five children from the country—at least for now. "Defendants are temporarily restrained and enjoined from removing Hayem El Gamal and her five minor children from the State of Colorado or the United States," Gallagher wrote in the order. The ruling will remain in effect until a scheduled hearing on June 13. The order came after El Gamal's friend, Susanna Dvortsin, sought emergency legal protection for the family. She argued that the family faced imminent deportation by the Trump administration without the opportunity to present their case in court. Gallagher agreed, writing that the family's deportation would cause "irreparable harm." The judge ruled that Dvortsin must submit a supporting legal brief by June 6, with government attorneys required to file a response by June 11. A hearing is set for June 13 at the Byron G. Rogers Courthouse in Denver. According to Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, citing sources, El Gamal and her five children have all overstayed their visas. However, an asylum application had already been submitted on their behalf by Soliman. The central question is whether deportation should move forward in spite of the family's pending asylum claim. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has publicly addressed the detention and potential deportation of El Gamal and her five children. In a social media video Tuesday, Secretary Noem confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had taken Soliman's family into custody. "Mohamed's despicable actions will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, but we're also investigating to what extent his family knew about this horrific attack," Noem said in the X post. "If they had any knowledge of it or if they provided any support to it." The Boulder attack triggered a political firestorm in Washington and Colorado, as Republican lawmakers have slammed it as a lack of immigration enforcement through sanctuary policies and poor management during the Biden administration. "This is a direct result of failed sanctuary states like Colorado and California," Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., said in the aftermath of the attack. "For the sake of our state, Democrats MUST stop putting illegals ahead of Americans. There are lives on the line." Meanwhile, Gov. Jared Polis' office said they were never aware of any threat from the suspect." "The reality is that Colorado is not a sanctuary state and state, federal and local law enforcement work together closely to apprehend criminals, whether they are from this country or not," a spokesperson for Polis' office told Fox News Digital, adding that the governor "expects to see the suspect prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." "There were no requests from federal law enforcement agencies regarding this individual, and if there had been then the state would have eagerly cooperated. Reports indicate that this person's legal presence ended in March, nearly three months ago, and we are not aware of any attempt by any federal agency to deport him," the spokesperson added. In addition, some Democrats in Colorado also faced scrutiny for attending a fundraiser with Rep. Ilhan Omar in nearby Denver roughly 30 minutes after the attack, as she's had a past history of anti-Semitic remarks and intense criticism of Israel.
The Hill
7 minutes ago
- The Hill
Senate Environment and Public Works panel releases ‘big beautiful bill' text
The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee released text for its portion of the Trump legislative agenda policy bill that Republicans are trying to get across the finish line, becoming the first Senate panel to do so. The EPW bill appears similar to provisions passed by the House. It's not one of the committees that deals with thorny issues like Medicaid or energy tax credits that is likely to undergo changes in the upper chamber. Like the House version of the bill, the text released by Senate Republicans on Wednesday repeals numerous green programs passed by the Democrats in 2022. This includes a $20 billion program that seeks to provide financing for climate-friendly projects and a $3 billion program that provides grants for underserved communities that want to fight air pollution and climate change. It also repeals other grant programs related to air pollution monitoring and reducing air pollution at schools – as well as a program that seeks to charge oil and gas companies for their excess methane emissions. Like the House version, the Senate bill also includes a provision criticized by Democrats as 'pay-for-play' that allows companies to pay for expedited reviews of energy or other infrastructure projects. And it seeks to repeal a Biden-era regulation that's expected to push the auto market toward selling more electric vehicles. The ultimate text could still change as the parliamentarian has to decide which programs can actually be passed through reconciliation – a process by which the Senate can pass legislation with a simple majority instead of the 60 votes it usually needs. However, since the green programs it seeks to repeal were passed in a similar manner in 2022, those are likely to make it into the final version. 'This legislative text puts in motion plans that Senate Republicans pledged to take, like stopping Democrats' natural gas tax and rescinding unobligated dollars from the so-called Inflation Reduction Act,' said EPW Chair Shelley Moore Capito ( in a written statement. 'I look forward to working with my colleagues to move our legislative package forward to enact President Trump's agenda, which the American people overwhelmingly support,' she added.
