Trump should 'get rid' of FEMA, Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem says
WASHINGTON – Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she would advise President Donald Trump to "get rid of FEMA the way it exists today," highlighting another federal agency that has been a target for the president in recent months.
State and local officials should control how money typically distributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency is used after natural disasters, Noem told CNN on Sunday.
"We still need the resources and the funds and the finances to go to people who have these types of disasters like Hurricane Helene and the fires in California," Noem told CNN's Dana Bash. "But you need to let the local officials make the decisions on how that is deployed so it can be deployed much quicker."
Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, who was tapped to lead the president's efforts to pare down the federal government, have been reevaluating the future of disaster aid, claiming it has been used for unintended purposes.
Members of Congress have argued that several actions by the new administration, including dismantling agencies and freezing the distribution of funds, violate the law because they ignore spending directives Congress passed into law.
But Noem said on CNN that Trump "can and I believe that he will" reconsider FEMA's role.
"He'll work with Congress to make sure it's done correctly and that we're still there to help folks who have a terrible disaster or crisis in their life," she said.
Noem, former governor of South Dakota, was confirmed to lead the Department of Homeland Security late last month. In addition to overseeing FEMA, the agency will play a central role in enacting Trump's campaign promise to deport unauthorized immigrants.
Trump said last month during a tour of damage left in North Carolina by Hurricane Helene that the relief agency "turned out to be a disaster" and suggested it "go away."
He also said states should take care of natural disasters because they can move more quickly than the federal bureaucracy.
What is FEMA?
FEMA, a United States government agency, coordinates the federal response to disasters. It was created in 1979 through an executive order by President Jimmy Carter.
The agency is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and employs more than 20,000 people nationwide. It has an operating budget and a disaster relief fund to reimburse states and local governments in emergencies. It also includes money for disaster victims that can be used for emergency needs and to help uninsured homeowners rebuild.
According to FEMA, it mission "is helping people before, during and after disasters. Our core values and goals help us achieve it."
Contributing: Maria Francis