On Sunday,Donald Trump signed an executive order to review the council given the work of evaluating the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), stopping short of immediately shutting down or restructuring the nation’s primary disaster response agency.
“FEMA has turned out to be a disaster,” Trump said during a visit to hurricane-hit North Carolina and wildfire-stricken California. “I think we recommend that FEMA go away,” Reuters quoted him as saying. He also vowed to overhaul or potentially eliminate the agency through the executive order.
Created in 1979, FEMA became part of the Department of Homeland Security in 2004. About 20,000 people work in it, but it can expand to more than 50,000 active members during major disasters.
It is capable of coordinating resources across the federal government and operates through 10 regional offices and at present, FEMA is managing 108 major disaster responses and 10 emergency declarations. It assists affected areas in recovering from natural disasters by mobilizing emergency personnel, supplies, and equipment .FEMA’s funding has been increased due to growing severity and frequency of Extreme weather conditions.
In his executive order, Trump expressed “serious concerns” about political bias within FEMA and alleged that the agency’s funds had been allocated to programs involving incoming migrants.
He told the staff that FEMA has a vital role in supporting national security, emphasizing that its ongoing operation is key to the nation’s disaster response efforts.
The agency is dealing with the challenge of misinformation particularly regarding disaster responses in Florida and North Carolina.
