outlines the critical situation surrounding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as the Trump administration actively pursues its dismantling. This development coincides with a significant increase in climate-related major disaster declarations in the United States, reaching a near-record high in 2024. The turmoil within FEMA, including stalled funding, hiring freezes, and a planned reduction in force, threatens the agency's ability to effectively respond to the growing frequency and intensity of natural disasters. Experts warn that shifting disaster response responsibilities primarily to states, while simultaneously weakening FEMA, could have severe consequences for communities across the nation.
Main Themes and Important Ideas/Facts:
1. Trump Administration's Intent to Eliminate or Fundamentally Reform FEMA:
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has vowed to "eliminate FEMA," and top officials from FEMA and DHS have met to discuss options for shutting down the agency.
- There are discussions about moving more quickly to dismantle FEMA instead of following President Trump's executive order establishing a FEMA Review Council.
- President Trump stated his desire to "begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA."
- An executive order has been signed outlining the desire to shift more disaster response and recovery responsibility to the states.
2. Current Turmoil and Stalled Operations Within FEMA:
- FEMA is already in turmoil, with disaster assistance, grant money, and hiring largely stalled.
- Hurricane planning for the upcoming season has been paused: "March is typically when we’re finalizing hurricane plans. A lot of that got paused,” a FEMA official told CNN. “So, it’s already having an impact, which is that we’re not preparing.”
- A new hiring process requires direct approval from Secretary Noem's team for renewing the terms of many of the agency's workers, including those in public-facing roles critical for disaster response and recovery. These impacted positions include CORE, Reservists, Local Hires, and Temporary Fulltime Employees, which constitute roughly 74% of FEMA's workforce.
- "I think their terms will be allowed to expire, and they won’t be renewed," a FEMA official stated.
- Over $100 billion in previously awarded grant money and disaster assistance was frozen due to a lack of guidance on adhering to Trump's executive orders restricting funding for immigration programs and sanctuary cities. While guidance has since been issued, concerns about disruptions persist.
- Nearly all FEMA payments outside of individual disaster assistance have been paused, impacting states, localities, and nonprofits, including fire departments and disaster recovery efforts.
- The firing of four FEMA employees, including the chief financial officer, for approving grant money to New York City to help shelter migrants has had a "chilling effect" on FEMA workers, with fears of job loss for misconstrued payments.
- A hiring freeze is in place, and Acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton submitted a plan to Secretary Noem for reducing FEMA's workforce, aiming to "reduce the agency’s staffing posture through unification of like-functions and with care that enhances our ability to deliver the mission, examines our geographic footprint, and rebalances federal and state roles in disaster preparedness, response and recovery."
