Tampa, Fla. (WFLA) — President Donald Trump has consistently stated his intention to begin “phasing out” the Federal Emergency Management Agency following the hurricane season.
During his visit to Texas on Friday, where he met with first responders and grieving families, the president was questioned about the federal response to last week’s deadly flooding and the impending future of FEMA. President Trump did not provide details on the agency’s future at that time.
A White House official told NewsNation that a FEMA review council now plans to “reform” the agency.
Trump surveyed the aftermath of last week’s catastrophic flooding that left more than 100 people dead.
“I have never seen anything like this,” he said.
It comes amid the administration facing scrutiny over FEMA’s future.
Since the start of his second term, the president has made this promise.
“We want to wean off of FEMA, and we want to bring it down from the state level,” he previously said.
FEMA has an annual budget of around $30 billion and, prior to layoffs, employed more than 20,000 people.
On Sunday, Trump signed a significant declaration for Texas, which enabled federal funding for Kerr County and extended to cover an additional five surrounding counties.
“My administration is doing everything in its power to help Texas,” Trump said.
“Immediately when I made a request for a disaster declaration, you and your administration granted that,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said. “This is the fastest that I am aware of any administration responding.”
Abbott said this declaration will allow his state to more effectively respond and rebuild.
Florida Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz said he’s alarmed by how Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem handled last week’s tragedy.
“Emergencies and disasters are always locally executed, the state manages them, and the federal government comes in and supports that what we are doing here, sir, empowering the state and the local officials to make the best decision for their people because they know their people and their community,” Noem said. “When they come in and ask, we support people.”
Moskowitz is calling for an investigation into what he said is FEMA’s delayed response.
With the administration’s previous pledge to get rid of FEMA and “bring it down to the state level,” Pinellas County residents, who repeatedly experienced flooding, fear that if FEMA funds aren’t available, how will they get help and from whom?
“It’s probably going to come in some form of tax, it always does right?” questioned Cody McGehe, Shore Acres Resident. “I don’t know if property insurance will go up or homeowners’ insurance will just increase to offset that, but certainly it will come back to us. It always does, like there’s no way it doesn’t.”
President Trump created a 12-member FEMA review council to determine the agency’s future role. The council is expected to release a report in November on how to improve federal disaster response.
