Latest news with #FederalEmergencyManagementAgency
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Houston Chronicle Uses 4 Sarcastic Words To Shred Kristi Noem's Flood Response
The Houston Chronicle rebuked Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's response to the recent deadly floods in Texas. It published an editorial Monday which was sarcastically titled, 'Heck of a job, Secretary Noem.' The newspaper's editorial board drew a stark contrast between grassroots fundraising efforts by Texans and what it described as an apparent lack of urgency in Washington to assist with the recovery. While 'Texans are stepping up to do what we can to help our neighbors in need,' the editorial said, 'some officials in Washington are more focused on saving cash.' The board condemned reports that cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's budget left some flood victims unable to get through on emergency lines. 'Leaving disaster victims on hold isn't governmental efficiency,' the Chronicle wrote. 'It's heartless. Read the full editorial and analysis here. Related... GOP Rep's Response To Trump's Slam Of 'Weaklings' Base Is Just… Wow Fox News Star Stuns With Unreal Take On 'Nazis' And 'The Blacks' OOPS! Trump Taunts AOC And Crockett, Then Undermines Himself In Next Breath
Washington Post
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Yes, FEMA is a mess. But Trump is wrong about how to fix it.
President Donald Trump entered his second term talking about eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Then Texas's Guadalupe River flooded, killing more than 130 Americans. Now, Trump's team is scrambling to insist that its changes at FEMA did not hinder the federal response. Trump had a point before his administration's change in tone. FEMA is a mess. Yet his provocative musings about cutting the agency were destined to make him look negligent as soon as a major disaster struck. So were some of the reckless changes his team made at FEMA before the Guadalupe tragedy.
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
20 states sue FEMA over cancelled disaster resilience grant programme
Twenty Democratic-led states have filed suit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency, challenging the elimination of a long-running grant programme that helps communities guard against damage from natural disasters. The lawsuit contends President Donald Trump's administration acted illegally when it announced in April that it was ending the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities programme. FEMA cancelled some projects already in the works and refused to approve new ones despite funding from Congress. "In the wake of devastating flooding in Texas and other states, it's clear just how critical federal resources are in helping states prepare for and respond to natural disasters," said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell of Massachusetts, where the federal lawsuit was filed on Wednesday. "By abruptly and unlawfully shutting down the Bric programme, this administration is abandoning states and local communities that rely on federal funding to protect their residents and, in the event of disaster, save lives." FEMA did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment. It said in April that the program was "wasteful and ineffective" and "more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters". The programme, established by a 2000 law, provides grants for a variety of disaster mitigation efforts, including levees to protect against floods, safe rooms to provide shelter from tornadoes, vegetation management to reduce damage from fires and seismic retrofitting to fortify buildings for earthquakes. During his first term, Trump signed a law shoring up funding for disaster risk reduction efforts. The programme then got a USD 1 billion boost from an infrastructure law signed by former President Joe Biden. That law requires FEMA to make available at least USD 200 million annually for disaster mitigation grants for the 2022-2026 fiscal years, the lawsuit says. The suit contends the Trump administration violated the constitutional separation of powers because Congress had not authorised the programme's demise. It also alleges the programme's termination was illegal because the decision was made while FEMA was under the leadership of an acting administrator who had not met the requirements to be in charge of the agency. The lawsuit says communities in every state have benefited from federal disaster mitigation grants, which saved lives and spared homes, businesses, hospitals and schools from costly damage. Some communities have already been affected by the decision to end the program. Hillsborough, North Carolina, had been awarded nearly USD 7 million to relocate a wastewater pumping station out of a flood plain and make other water and sewer system improvements. But that hadn't happened yet when the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal damaged the pumping station and forced it offline last week. In rural Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, town officials had hoped to use more than USD 4 million from the BRIC program to improve stormwater drainage and safeguard a vulnerable electric system, thus protecting investments in a historic theatre and other businesses. While the community largely supports Trump, assistant town manager Erin Burris said people were blindsided by the lost funding they had spent years pursuing. "I've had downtown property owners saying, What do we do?'" Burris said. "I've got engineering plans ready to go and I don't have the money to do it.
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump sued over ending grant program
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Boston, contends that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) unlawfully eliminated its Building Resilient Infrastructures and Communities (BRIC) program earlier this year, stepping on Congress's powers. The states say the impact of the shutdown has been 'devastating.' 'Communities across the country are being forced to delay, scale back, or cancel hundreds of mitigation projects depending on this funding,' the complaint reads. 'Projects that have been in development for years, and in which communities have invested millions of dollars for planning, permitting, and environmental review are now threatened,' it continues. Before the turn of the century, Congress and FEMA started implementing mitigation as a tactic against natural disasters, as opposed to reacting after crises. The BRIC program, created in 2018 as an iteration of past programs, has helped avoid more than $150 billion in costs alongside other federal mitigation grants, the complaint says. In April, the Trump administration shuttered the program, calling it 'wasteful' and 'politicized.' The Hill requested comment from FEMA.
a day ago
- Politics
20 states sue FEMA for canceling grant program that guards against natural disasters
Twenty Democratic-led states filed suit Wednesday against the Federal Emergency Management Agency, challenging the elimination of a long-running grant program that helps communities guard against damage from natural disasters. The lawsuit contends President Donald Trump's administration acted illegally when it announced in April that it was ending the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program. FEMA canceled some projects already in the works and refused to approve new ones despite funding from Congress. 'In the wake of devastating flooding in Texas and other states, it's clear just how critical federal resources are in helping states prepare for and respond to natural disasters,' said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell of Massachusetts, where the federal lawsuit was filed. "By abruptly and unlawfully shutting down the BRIC program, this administration is abandoning states and local communities that rely on federal funding to protect their residents and, in the event of disaster, save lives.' FEMA did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment. It said in April that the program was 'wasteful and ineffective' and 'more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters.' The program, established by a 2000 law, provides grants for a variety of disaster mitigation efforts, including levees to protect against floods, safe rooms to provide shelter from tornadoes, vegetation management to reduce damage from fires and seismic retrofitting to fortify buildings for earthquakes. During his first term, Trump signed a law shoring up funding for disaster risk reduction efforts. The program then got a $1 billion boost from an infrastructure law signed by former President Joe Biden. That law requires FEMA to make available at least $200 million annually for disaster mitigation grants for the 2022-2026 fiscal years, the lawsuit says. The suit contends the Trump administration violated the constitutional separation of powers because Congress had not authorized the program's demise. It also alleges the program's termination was illegal because the decision was made while FEMA was under the leadership of an acting administrator who had not met the requirements to be in charge of the agency. The lawsuit says communities in every state have benefited from federal disaster mitigation grants, which saved lives and spared homes, businesses, hospitals and schools from costly damage. Some communities have already been affected by the decision to end the program. Hillsborough, North Carolina, had been awarded nearly $7 million to relocate a wastewater pumping station out of a flood plain and make other water and sewer system improvements. But that hadn't happened yet when the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal damaged the pumping station and forced it offline last week. In rural Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, town officials had hoped to use more than $4 million from the BRIC program to improve stormwater drainage and safeguard a vulnerable electric system, thus protecting investments in a historic theater and other businesses. While the community largely supports Trump, assistant town manager Erin Burris said people were blindsided by the lost funding they had spent years pursuing. 'I've had downtown property owners saying, 'What do we do?'' Burris said. 'I've got engineering plans ready to go and I don't have the money to do it.' ___ Associated Press reporters Jack Brook, Michael Casey and Gary D. Robertson contributed to this report. ___ Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
