Latest news with #FEMAReviewCouncil
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Trump says he wants states to handle disasters on their own without FEMA
Advertisement It is up to the president to issue a federal disaster declaration and allow FEMA aid to flow to states, communities and individual disaster victims. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up In the weeks after Hurricane Helene last fall, FEMA under the Biden administration spent $4.3 billion on response and recovery efforts, including debris removal, temporary housing for storm victims and money for local governments, individuals and families. A recent Trump budget proposal included $26.5 billion for disaster aid - $4 billion more than President Joe Biden's last budget request. But in comments Tuesday, Trump and Noem said they planned for FEMA's role to look dramatically different in future disasters, after a recently convened FEMA Review Council completes a study of how disaster response can be improved in the United States. Advertisement The council includes current and former Republican governors and emergency management officials from Texas and Florida, and it's co-chaired by Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Its goal is to figure out how to streamline FEMA operations and ensure the agency 'delivers rapid, efficient, and mission-focused relief to Americans in need,' according to an April announcement. Already, the agency looks significantly different than it did before Trump began his second term in January. FEMA's workforce is down by a third, according to estimates, with some 2,000 staffers leaving through a combination of early retirements and the firings of probationary employees. The administration has also discussed plans to stop the practice of sending FEMA staff door-to-door to help people apply for disaster aid and to consider raising the threshold for damage that would qualify communities for federal assistance. 'It has not worked out well,' Trump said Tuesday of FEMA's past disaster response. 'It's extremely expensive. When you have a tornado or a hurricane or you have a problem of any kind in a state, that's what you have governors for. They're supposed to fix those problems.' Research has demonstrated that, as a result of human burning of fossil fuels, climate change is strengthening hurricanes and making it more likely that they rapidly intensify before making landfall. At the same time, hurricanes, tornadoes and thunderstorms are causing significantly more damage as more people move into harm's way. Even as Noem emphasized that FEMA 'fundamentally needs to go away as it exists,' she said the agency is ready for what is forecast to be a 10th-consecutive above-average Atlantic hurricane season, during which as many as five major hurricanes could form, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Advertisement After a spring during which tornadoes and severe thunderstorms have caused 'terrible, tragic losses,' Noem said that governors have 'all been very happy' with an 'extremely responsive FEMA.' 'FEMA stands prepared and has been working with all of our regions on training, redeploying resources, making sure that individuals are out there ready to respond to each state as they bring the necessary resources to take care of their people,' she said.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump signs executive order aimed at 'drastically' improving FEMA efficacy, priorities, competence
President Donald Trump put the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under review on Sunday after signing an executive order aimed at "drastically" improving the agency's efficacy, priorities and competence. Trump's executive order establishes the FEMA Review Council, which will be composed of no more than 20 members and co-chaired by the secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense. The council is being formed after FEMA's response to Hurricane Helene and other recent disasters showed the need to improve "efficacy, priorities, and competence, including evaluating whether FEMA's bureaucracy in disaster response" hinders its ability to respond successfully. "Despite obligating nearly $30 billion in disaster aid each of the past three years, FEMA has managed to leave vulnerable Americans without the resources or support they need when they need it most," the executive order reads. "There are serious concerns of political bias in FEMA. Indeed, at least one former FEMA responder has stated that FEMA managers directed her to avoid homes of individuals supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump for President." 'Fema Is Not Good:' Trump Announces Agency Overhaul During Visit To North Carolina Trump also said FEMA has lost mission focus, diverting limited resources and staff to support missions outside its scope and authority. The president particularly highlighted that FEMA has spent over a billion dollars welcoming illegal immigrants. Read On The Fox News App "Americans deserve an immediate, effective, and impartial response to and recovery from disasters," the order continued. "FEMA therefore requires a full-scale review, by individuals highly experienced at effective disaster response and recovery, who shall recommend to the President improvements or structural changes to promote the national interest and enable national resilience." Trump Says Newsom Is To 'Blame' For 'Apocalyptic' Wildfires Trump announced Friday that he plans to overhaul FEMA as North Carolina is still recovering from Hurricane Helene more than 120 days after the storm devastated the state. "I'll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," Trump told reporters in North Carolina on Friday morning. "I think, frankly, FEMA is not good." Fast-moving Hughes Fire Erupts In Los Angeles County As California Officials Order Evacuations Trump promised his administration would step in and assist North Carolina to fix the damage quickly, vowing to "do a good job" for the state. The president also said he would like to see the states assume more responsibility when disaster strikes, arguing those familiar with the state are better equipped to provide disaster response and relief. So far, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claim that only half of the debris recovery from Hurricane Helene is complete. Additionally, thousands of families in North Carolina remain in hotels that FEMA is footing the bill for through its Transitional Housing Assistance program. Fox News Digital's Diana Stancy contributed to this article source: Trump signs executive order aimed at 'drastically' improving FEMA efficacy, priorities, competence
Fox News
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump signs executive order aimed at 'drastically' improving FEMA efficacy, priorities, competence
President Donald Trump put the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under review on Sunday after signing an executive order aimed at "drastically" improving the agency's efficacy, priorities and competence. Trump's executive order establishes the FEMA Review Council, which will be composed of no more than 20 members and co-chaired by the secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense. The council is being formed after FEMA's response to Hurricane Helene and other recent disasters showed the need to improve "efficacy, priorities, and competence, including evaluating whether FEMA's bureaucracy in disaster response" hinders its ability to respond successfully. "Despite obligating nearly $30 billion in disaster aid each of the past three years, FEMA has managed to leave vulnerable Americans without the resources or support they need when they need it most," the executive order reads. "There are serious concerns of political bias in FEMA. Indeed, at least one former FEMA responder has stated that FEMA managers directed her to avoid homes of individuals supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump for President." Trump also said FEMA has lost mission focus, diverting limited resources and staff to support missions outside its scope and authority. The president particularly highlighted that FEMA has spent over a billion dollars welcoming illegal immigrants. "Americans deserve an immediate, effective, and impartial response to and recovery from disasters," the order continued. "FEMA therefore requires a full-scale review, by individuals highly experienced at effective disaster response and recovery, who shall recommend to the President improvements or structural changes to promote the national interest and enable national resilience." Trump announced Friday that he plans to overhaul FEMA as North Carolina is still recovering from Hurricane Helene more than 120 days after the storm devastated the state. "I'll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," Trump told reporters in North Carolina on Friday morning. "I think, frankly, FEMA is not good." Trump promised his administration would step in and assist North Carolina to fix the damage quickly, vowing to "do a good job" for the state. The president also said he would like to see the states assume more responsibility when disaster strikes, arguing those familiar with the state are better equipped to provide disaster response and relief. So far, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claim that only half of the debris recovery from Hurricane Helene is complete. Additionally, thousands of families in North Carolina remain in hotels that FEMA is footing the bill for through its Transitional Housing Assistance program.
