A gaggle of present and former Federal Emergency Administration Company officers warned Congress on Monday that the Trump administration’s sweeping modifications to the catastrophe reduction company might reverse a long time of reforms made after Hurricane Katrina.
The open letter was launched because the U.S. this week marks 20 years since Katrina’s 2005 landfall — sparking one of many worst pure disasters in U.S. historical past, with greater than 1,800 deaths and over $200 billion in injury in right this moment’s {dollars}.
The letter argues the Trump administration — which has sought to dramatically shrink FEMA and floated scrapping the company altogether — had made choices that “hinder the swift execution of our mission.” It states {that a} change in course is important to “forestall not solely one other nationwide disaster like Hurricane Katrina, however the efficient dissolution of FEMA itself and the abandonment of the American folks such an occasion would symbolize.”
Launched by the advocacy group Stand Up for Science, the “Katrina Declaration” says it has 181 signatories. Solely 35 folks signed their names to the letter, with the remainder choosing anonymity on account of “the tradition of concern and suppression cultivated by this administration.”
It is addressed to a number of congressional committees and the FEMA Evaluate Council, which was shaped by President Trump earlier this 12 months.
The declaration alleges that Mr. Trump’s picks to guide FEMA “lack correct {qualifications},” and decries the Trump administration for reducing FEMA’s employees.
“Since January 2025, FEMA has been underneath the management of people missing authorized {qualifications}, Senate approval, and the demonstrated background required of a FEMA Administrator,” the open letter reads.
It additionally castigates FEMA for terminating grants meant to assist state and native governments put together their infrastructures to resist pure disasters and excessive climate. Two-thirds of the counties which have acquired these grants voted for Mr. Trump over former Vice President Kamala Harris, a CBS Information investigation discovered earlier this 12 months. A federal decide blocked cuts to the Constructing Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, or BRIC, program earlier this month.
In response to the letter, FEMA appearing press secretary Daniel Llargues mentioned the Division of Homeland Safety is “dedicated to making sure FEMA delivers for the American folks.” He mentioned the company has been “slowed down by pink tape, inefficiency, and outdated processes,” and defended the Trump administration’s dealing with of pure disasters thus far this 12 months.
“The Trump Administration has made accountability and reform a precedence in order that taxpayer {dollars} truly attain the folks and communities they’re meant to assist,” Llargues mentioned. “It’s not shocking that among the identical bureaucrats who presided over a long time of inefficiency are actually objecting to reform. Change is all the time exhausting. It’s particularly for these invested in the established order. However our obligation is to survivors, to not defending damaged programs.”
FEMA has confronted months of upheaval since Mr. Trump’s return to workplace.
Days after his inauguration, the president floated both “eliminating FEMA” or “basically reforming and overhauling” the company, casting it as overly bureaucratic and arguing that state and native governments ought to tackle a bigger function in managing pure disasters. In June, Mr. Trump mentioned he is trying to “wean” states off of FEMA.
The White Home has proposed reducing FEMA’s price range for non-disaster grants by $646 million within the subsequent fiscal 12 months. The Trump administration is asking Congress to approve a $36.2 billion price range for FEMA, up from $33.1 billion within the fiscal 12 months 2025 price range.
Thus far this 12 months, FEMA has misplaced about one-third of its employees by a mixture of firings and buyouts, and the administration has overhauled the contract renewal system for greater than two-thirds of FEMA’s workforce, CBS Information has beforehand reported.
The company has had two appearing leaders since Mr. Trump returned to workplace. Christopher Hamilton led the company till Could, when he was fired after saying he did not assist eliminating FEMA. His successor, David Richardson, launched himself to employees by warning them throughout an all-hands assembly, “do not get in my means,” and suggesting he’ll “run proper over” folks he believes are subverting the president’s agenda, CBS Information has reported.
The management change got here weeks earlier than the June 1 begin of the Atlantic hurricane season. One evaluate from Could discovered the company was “not prepared” for hurricane season.
