Per the Western Journal, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during a Cabinet meeting Monday that she plans to nix the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Noem announced that she was “going to eliminate FEMA” but did not immediately provide details about the future of the disaster response agency, according to a report from the Daily Beast.
The outlet noted that both she and President Donald Trump have suggested that states could exercise more control over disaster relief, rather than having a federal entity manage the responses.
FEMA is currently an agency under the Department of Homeland Security.
Noem said last month during an interview with CNN that she wants to “get rid of FEMA the way it exists today.”
“I believe that he will do that evaluation with his team, and he’s talking about it, which I’m grateful for,” Noem said when asked by host Dana Bash if Trump wanted to close the agency.
“He’ll work with Congress, though, to make sure that it’s done correctly and that we’re still there to help folks who have a terrible disaster or crisis in their life,” she added.
“He’s been very clear that he still believes there’s a role for the federal government to come in and help people get back up on their feet,” Noem continued.
The effort to end FEMA comes as Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat from Florida, and Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican from Florida, submit a bill to turn FEMA into an independent agency that exists at the Cabinet level, according to a report from Government Executive.
“As these emergencies continue to grow larger and more widespread, the American people deserve a federal response that is efficient and fast. To achieve that, FEMA should be reformed,” Moskowitz remarked in a statement.
“FEMA currently sits under the bureaucracy of [DHS] — and with around 20 other agencies and offices under that umbrella, the set-up simply doesn’t work,” he continued.
