Trump, Lawmakers At Odds Over Whether Fema Should Be Elevated To Cabinet-level Agency Or Completely Overhauled

While President Donald Trump wants to gut nan Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), lawmakers connected some sides of nan aisle are seeking to elevate FEMA to a Cabinet-level agency. 

FEMA is presently housed nether nan Department of Homeland Security, but nan House effort would solidify FEMA arsenic its ain abstracted agency, according to a chat draught of nan authorities released Thursday. 

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., and committee ranking personnel Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., are spearheading nan legislation. 

Other proposals included successful nan draught authorities are instructing nan Office of Management and Budget to create a centralized website search disaster assistance betterment crossed nan national government, and allowing FEMA to ft nan measure for repairs to homes suffering harm successful disasters. 

Currently, FEMA only covers expenses that make a location livable pursuing disasters. 

‘FEMA IS NOT GOOD’: TRUMP ANNOUNCES AGENCY OVERHAUL DURING VISIT TO NORTH CAROLINA 

Workers, organization members and business owners cleanable up debris successful nan aftermath of Hurricane Helene successful Marshall, North Carolina, connected Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

"By releasing this chat draught legislation, we dream to prosecute our colleagues and stakeholders connected broad FEMA reform," Graves said successful a Thursday statement. "This draught measure includes substantive changes that will toggle shape FEMA and our emergency programs to beryllium overmuch much authorities and locally driven – not micro-managed into ineffectiveness by nan national government."

While Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem person voiced support for eradicating FEMA, nan erstwhile acting administrator of FEMA, Cameron Hamilton, warned against gutting nan agency connected Wednesday.

"I do not judge it is successful nan champion liking of nan American group to destruct nan Federal Emergency Management Agency," Hamilton told lawmakers connected nan House Appropriations committee connected Wednesday. 

"Having said that, I’m not successful a position to make a decision," Hamilton said. "That is simply a speech that should beryllium had betwixt nan president of nan United States and this governing body."

However, Hamilton, who antecedently served arsenic a infirmary corpsman successful nan U.S. Navy pinch SEAL Team 8 and started starring FEMA successful January, was ousted from his station Thursday. 

ACTING FEMA ADMINISTRATOR OUT AFTER PUSHING BACK AGAINST TRUMP'S AGENCY PLANS

Former acting FEMA Administrator Cam Hamilton, who antecedently served arsenic a infirmary corpsman successful nan U.S. Navy pinch SEAL Team 8 and started starring FEMA successful January, was ousted from his station Thursday. (Pete Marovich/Getty Images)

FEMA confirmed to Fox News Digital Thursday that Hamilton was nary longer pinch nan agency. 

Days aft his inauguration successful January, Trump visited North Carolina to oversee nan state's efforts to retrieve from Hurricane Helene, much than 120 days aft nan large wind struck nan state. On nan trip, Trump floated plans to gut FEMA, which oversaw nan disaster alleviation efforts. 

"I'll besides beryllium signing an executive bid to statesman nan process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, aliases possibly getting free of FEMA," Trump told reporters successful North Carolina. "I think, frankly, FEMA is not good."

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The executive bid established a reappraisal assembly to measure imaginable reforms to FEMA, including whether nan agency’s bureaucracy restricts its expertise to appropriately respond to disasters. Likewise, Trump’s fund connection includes plans to slash astir $650 cardinal successful FEMA grants. 

On Tuesday, Noem told lawmakers that Trump stands by his statements that FEMA’s existent setup should beryllium quashed. 

"He believes that FEMA and its consequence successful many, galore circumstances has grounded nan American people, and that FEMA arsenic it exists coming should beryllium eliminated," Noem said.