Latest news with #SamGraves
The Hill
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Bipartisan lawmakers propose making FEMA a cabinet-level agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would be a cabinet-level agency that reports directly to the president under a new bipartisan bill. The proposal, comes as the Trump administration weighs changes at or even abolishing the emergency management agency. The new legislation from Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) and Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) would make FEMA directly answer to the president rather than keeping it under the Department of Homeland Security. While the bipartisan legislation rejects calls to eliminate the agency, it does allow some responsibilities to be delegated to states, as the Trump administration has called for. For example, states would be allowed in handling small disasters to request a lump-sum payment for estimated damages rather than going through a separate supplemental grant program. The bill also has various other provisions including the creation of a single assistance application that lawmakers say will streamline the process and cut down on paperwork. 'This bill does more than any recent reforms to cut through the bureaucracy, streamline programs, provide flexibility, and return FEMA to its core purpose of empowering the states to lead and coordinating the federal response when it's needed,' Graves said in a written statement. 'The solution is not to tear FEMA down – it's to work across the aisle to build FEMA up,' said Stanton. 'This bipartisan bill takes common-sense steps to streamline the agency and make sure communities get disaster assistance quickly, efficiently and fairly.' The bill's formal announcement comes one day after FEMA's acting head testified before Congress and did not say whether the administration wants to get rid of the agency. It's not entirely clear whether the bill will ultimately be taken up by the House's GOP leadership or whether it would receive Senate support.
Reuters
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
FEMA chief would report directly to US president under new bill
WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency would report directly to the U.S. president instead of the Homeland Security secretary, under a bipartisan bill announced in the House of Representatives on Thursday. The bill would also allow FEMA to reimburse states for the cost to shelter emergency personnel after natural disasters. The measure is backed by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves, a Republican from Missouri, and ranking member Rick Larsen, a Democrat from Washington state. The bill adds to the debate over the agency's future. President Donald Trump has said he wants to shutter FEMA. He tasked a committee of governors, mayors and emergency managers from disaster-prone states to recommend changes by the fall.
Fox News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Coast Guard overhaul takes off amid Trump administration's immigration, narcotics crackdown
Efforts to overhaul the Coast Guard are gaining traction on Capitol Hill — coinciding with the Trump administration's endeavor to revamp the service to address illegal migrant crossings and drug seizures. Multiple initiatives to update the Coast Guard are underway in both chambers of Congress, and within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). All seek to elevate the service so it's on par with the other branches of the military that fall under the Department of Defense, and better equip it to tackle drug and immigration interdiction missions. House legislation authorizing funding for the service through 2029 recently cleared a committee vote and aims to empower the service to conduct these missions, according to Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., a co-sponsor of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025. "The Coast Guard is very similar to law enforcement," Ezell told Fox News Digital July 16. "It's going to fight the narcotics epidemic that we have coming into the country. Our Coast Guard officers and men and women are going to really be able to go after that." Such missions are only increasing for the Coast Guard. DHS announced July 15 that the service had seized a total of 242,244 pounds of cocaine since President Donald Trump took office in January. That amounts to a more than 100% increase in seizures in comparison to the same timeframe in 2024 during the Biden administration, according to DHS. Ezell, along with Reps. Sam Graves, R-Mo., Rick Larsen, D-Wash., and Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., introduced the Coast Guard Authorization Act July 2, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed the measure July 15, paving the way for the measure to head to the House floor. One of the most significant provisions in the legislation would establish a civilian secretary of the Coast Guard to align more similarly with the other branches of the military that fall under the Department of Defense. The Coast Guard falls under the jurisdiction of DHS and does not have a top civilian leading the service. Installing a secretary of the service will "streamline some of this red tape that we've seen over the years that's slowed progress down" because he or she will report directly to the White House and Congress — eliminating multiple layers of bureaucracy, according to Ezell. "This person is going to be instrumental in getting things done," Ezell said. "Coming from my background as a sheriff and the chief of police, I know the importance of coordinating with other agencies to get the job done," Ezell said. "When you have one person that's a point of contact who will put all the information out from the president, from the DHS Secretary, it'll be so much simpler." Prior to being elected to the House, Ezell served as a law enforcement officer for over 40 years, including serving as sheriff of Jackson County, Mississippi. Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia introduced legislation in the Senate in April that would similarly establish a secretary for the Coast Guard. "The establishment of a Secretary of the Coast Guard is an important step in ensuring our nation's maritime security is led with the strength and efficiency it deserves to ensure it can fulfill its mission and adapt to any challenges," Scott said in an April statement. "It's critical to have a dedicated Secretary for the U.S. Coast Guard working closely with President Trump, our military leaders, and the Department of Homeland Security for a coordinated, successful effort to keep the nation safe," Scott said. The efforts on Capitol Hill also align with initiatives underway at the Department of Homeland Security to reform the service. In April, the Coast Guard unveiled its new Force Design 2028 plan to revamp the service's organizational structure, personnel, acquisitions, contracting and technology, in keeping with directives from Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The proposal aims to beef up the Coast Guard's force, which currently consists of roughly 43,000 active-duty personnel, and determine which specialties need reinforcement to expand training. The blueprint also calls for a series of changes to better align the Coast Guard with the Department of Defense's standards for physical fitness, body composition and grooming. The Coast Guard, unlike other military services, does not enforce fitness standards unless personnel are attached to boat crews of law enforcement teams. The initiative comes in response to the Trump administration's efforts to tackle illegal immigration and drug smuggling, a DHS official familiar with the plan told Fox News Digital in April. "We've been making changes practically daily in the service to really keep moving forward," the official told Fox News Digital in April. "The goal of 2028 is that the transformation of the service will be complete by 2028."
E&E News
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- E&E News
EV fees are out of the budget bill — but they'll be back
The push to impose fees on electric vehicles appears to be dead in the Republicans' megabill, but it's likely to be a central topic when lawmakers start writing the next surface transportation bill. Republicans in both the House and Senate say it's important for electric vehicles — and hybrids — to pay into the federal Highway Trust Fund. A big question is how. Many Democrats and EV advocates have come to accept there will be some kind of fee on the new breed of cars and trucks, although they argue that some of the Republican proposals amount to overkill. Advertisement 'Fixing the HTF is long overdue, and Congress must tackle this growing problem,' House Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Sam Graves (R-Mo.) wrote last week in a Washington Times op-ed.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Its Your Call for June 9
Hypocrite Sam Graves touts his support of rural hospitals when he votes for Trump's bill, that is going to destroy Medicaid, Medicare and our rural hospitals. Some difference President Trump sent U.S. troops to back up LA police against protesters, just like he didn't send troops to protect capital police against the mob he himself incited and then pardoned many of those who attacked the capital police. Some difference. He's out of his mind Trump first turned his ICE department into the Gestapo. And now he's wanting to turn the National Guard loose on demonstrators. This is the first step of a dictator wanting to take complete military control of the government or a police state. He won't stop there. The man's out of control and he's out of his mind. Absolutely horrible Anyone who calls themselves a Christian, knowing what's going on with the way people are being treated by ICE. It's just absolutely horrible. They're not Christians, I guess Christian nationalists need to be identified separately and so-called churches need to be taxed. These people are driving so many people away from religion. If what they claim to believe were true, they would be damned for sure. But they don't believe it.
