Wed, July 23, 2025:
Trump has turned FEMA itself into a disaster. The Trump administration is mired in delays for deciding on governors’ requests for FEMA help – WP
Thurs, July 17, 2025:
What the Texas floods prove about fixing FEMA. Complaints about the nation’s disaster response system are fair. But there are smarter ways to fix it. – WP
Fri, July 11, 2025:
FEMA Didn’t Answer Thousands of Calls From Flood Survivors, Documents Show. Two days after deadly Texas floods, the agency struggled to answer calls from survivors because of call center contracts that weren’t extended. – NYT
Trump administration moves away from abolishing FEMA. As the president visits Texas to see the impact of last week’s deadly flash floods, the White House has backed away from plans to abolish the agency, officials said. – WP
Sat, July 10, 2025:
Governors accuse Trump admin of stalling disaster recovery – Axios
FEMA Is Holding Up $2.4 Billion in Grants to Fight Terrorism, States Say. FEMA officials are two months behind in posting grant application guidelines, which are expected to reflect President Trump’s demand for cooperation on his priorities. – NYT
Mon, June 30, 2025:
Trump’s stifling of disaster aid leaves cities adrift. The president canceled $4.5 billion in FEMA grants that helped communities prepare for rising disaster damage. – Politico
Fri, May 9, 2025:
New acting FEMA leader David Richardson issued a brash declaration to staff that he would temporarily take over every decision at the agency, including on spending, and “run right over” anyone who opposed him, reported Reuters.
Thursday, May 8, 2025:
Trump fired FEMA Acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton who—when answering a question at a congressional hearing—said he believes the disaster response agency, which distributes $45 billion per year to states and individuals, should not be eliminated. He was replaced by a Trump administration official, David Richardson, with no disaster response experience. With wildfire and hurricane season approaching, the Administration has yet to nominate a FEMA Administrator (who is required by law to have state emergency management experience).