What does FEMA do? What to know after Trump considers 'getting rid' of agency
President Donald Trump traveled to Asheville, North Carolina last week and visited communities in the western part of the state impacted by Hurricane Helene last year.
During his visit, Trump ratcheted up his criticism of the Federal Emergency Management Agency with a suggestion to possibly abolish the agency because of its response to Hurricane Helene in September.
“I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA or maybe even getting rid of FEMA,” Trump said after a briefing in Fletcher, North Carolina. “Frankly, FEMA’s not good.”
Trump signed an executive order Sunday aimed at revamping the agency.
Here's what to know about FEMA and what Trump has said about the agency.
What does FEMA do?
According to the agency's website, it's mission is "helping people before, during and after disasters." The agency says it employs more than 20,000 people and has 10 regional offices nationwide, allowing it to "leverage a tremendous capacity to coordinate within the federal government to make sure America is equipped to prepare for and respond to disasters."
FEMA was officially created in 1979 through an executive order by President Jimmy Carter, and the agency says its history can be traced as far back as 1803. In 2003, FEMA became part of the Department of Homeland Security.
The agency aims to help people and communities understand and prepare for possible disaster risks, coordinates the federal response to disasters, and supports disaster recovery, according to its website. For more information about what specifically FEMA does and how it operates, you can visit the FEMA website.
What did Trump say about FEMA?
Trump accused FEMA crews of being unfamiliar with areas when responding to disasters. FEMA also imposes rules and requirements on crews that aren’t as good as what local officials provide, Trump said. The federal government should instead send funding to governors to manage their own response to disasters, he said.
“FEMA has turned out to be a disaster,” Trump said. “I think we’re going to recommend that FEMA go away and we pay directly – we pay a percentage to the state.”
After speaking with flood victims in Swannanoa, North Carolina, Trump later added, “If it was up to me right now, I’d end it right now."
Trump's executive order on FEMA
The executive order calls for the creation of a task force, called the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council, to review and recommend changes in a report to Trump.
The group will be comprised of the secretaries of homeland security and defense, in addition to "relevant agency heads and distinguished individuals and representatives from sectors outside of the federal government appointed by the President," according to the order.
In the order, Trump says that "despite obligating nearly $30 billion in disaster aid each of the past three years, FEMA has managed to leave vulnerable Americans without the resources or support they need when they need it most." Trump also mentions "serious concerns of political bias" in the agency.
Lawmakers condemn threat to end FEMA
Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat representing Texas' 37th congressional district and a member on the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, pushed back on Trump's efforts to get rid of FEMA.
"Trump's threats to get rid of FEMA and GOP House leadership floating conditional aid will hinder relief to Americans who've lost their homes & businesses in wildfires or floods," Doggett said in a social media post Monday.
Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, also hit back on Trump's effort to get rid of FEMA.
"Eliminating FEMA would cripple the nation's ability to respond to disasters and remove a critical lifeline for Americans recovering from wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and more," she said on X Saturday. "We should support Americans in times of crisis, not make it harder for them to get much-needed resources."
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at Paste BN. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.