Trump-appointed panel backs halving FEMA and shifting disaster response to states
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · May 7
Trump-appointed panel backs halving FEMA and shifting disaster response to states
15 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · May 7
The 75-page report proposes cutting FEMA staffing by about 50% over two to three years while keeping the agency within the Department of Homeland Security.
It also urges states and tribes to take greater control of response, recovery and oversight of federal funds, while reducing environmental reviews and revamping aid programmes it calls slow and inefficient.
The recommendations are non-binding and some need congressional approval, but they could shape Trump administration plans; environmental and survivor advocates warned they would shift costs and weaken support as disasters intensify.
Can a downsized FEMA still handle major catastrophes after cutting its workforce in half?
Will shifting disaster aid to 'parametric triggers' help victims faster or create new inequities?