Trump, lawmakers at odds over whether FEMA should be elevated to Cabinet-level agency or completely overhauled

While President Donald Trump wants to gut the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), lawmakers connected some sides of the aisle are seeking to elevate FEMA to a Cabinet-level agency. 

FEMA is presently housed nether the Department of Homeland Security, but the House effort would solidify FEMA arsenic its ain abstracted agency, according to a treatment draught of the authorities released Thursday. 

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., and committee ranking subordinate Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., are spearheading the legislation. 

Other proposals included successful the draught authorities are instructing the Office of Management and Budget to make a centralized website tracking catastrophe assistance betterment crossed the national government, and allowing FEMA to ft the measure for repairs to homes suffering harm successful disasters. 

Currently, FEMA lone covers expenses that marque a location livable pursuing disasters. 

‘FEMA IS NOT GOOD’: TRUMP ANNOUNCES AGENCY OVERHAUL DURING VISIT TO NORTH CAROLINA 

Workers, assemblage members and concern owners cleanable up debris successful the aftermath of Hurricane Helene successful Marshall, North Carolina, connected Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

"By releasing this treatment draught legislation, we anticipation to prosecute our colleagues and stakeholders connected broad FEMA reform," Graves said successful a Thursday statement. "This draught measure includes substantive changes that volition alteration FEMA and our exigency programs to beryllium overmuch much authorities and locally driven – not micro-managed into ineffectiveness by the national government."

While Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem person voiced enactment for eradicating FEMA, the erstwhile acting head of FEMA, Cameron Hamilton, warned against gutting the bureau connected Wednesday.

"I bash not judge it is successful the champion involvement of the American radical to destruct the Federal Emergency Management Agency," Hamilton told lawmakers connected the House Appropriations committee connected Wednesday. 

"Having said that, I’m not successful a presumption to marque a decision," Hamilton said. "That is simply a speech that should beryllium had betwixt the president of the United States and this governing body."

However, Hamilton, who antecedently served arsenic a infirmary corpsman successful the U.S. Navy with SEAL Team 8 and started starring FEMA successful January, was ousted from his station Thursday. 

ACTING FEMA ADMINISTRATOR OUT AFTER PUSHING BACK AGAINST TRUMP'S AGENCY PLANS

Former acting FEMA Administrator Cam Hamilton, who antecedently served arsenic a infirmary corpsman successful the U.S. Navy with SEAL Team 8 and started starring FEMA successful January, was ousted from his station Thursday. (Pete Marovich/Getty Images)

FEMA confirmed to Fox News Digital Thursday that Hamilton was nary longer with the agency. 

Days aft his inauguration successful January, Trump visited North Carolina to oversee the state's efforts to retrieve from Hurricane Helene, much than 120 days aft the tempest struck the state. On the trip, Trump floated plans to gut FEMA, which oversaw the catastrophe alleviation efforts. 

"I'll besides beryllium signing an enforcement bid to statesman the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, oregon possibly getting escaped of FEMA," Trump told reporters successful North Carolina. "I think, frankly, FEMA is not good."

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The enforcement bid established a reappraisal assembly to measure imaginable reforms to FEMA, including whether the agency’s bureaucracy restricts its quality to appropriately respond to disasters. Likewise, Trump’s fund connection includes plans to slash astir $650 cardinal successful FEMA grants. 

On Tuesday, Noem told lawmakers that Trump stands by his statements that FEMA’s existent setup should beryllium quashed. 

"He believes that FEMA and its effect successful many, galore circumstances has failed the American people, and that FEMA arsenic it exists contiguous should beryllium eliminated," Noem said.