Overview

• The Trump administration, led by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, is actively pursuing the elimination of FEMA, aiming to reassign its functions and reduce the federal role in disaster management.
• Plans include narrowing FEMA's responsibilities to immediate disaster response and transferring long-term rebuilding and preparedness to individual states.
• Critics warn that dismantling FEMA could exacerbate inequalities in disaster response, leaving smaller or less-resourced states vulnerable as natural disasters become more frequent and severe.
• Bipartisan opposition is growing, with lawmakers and experts raising alarms about the potential impact on disaster preparedness, particularly with hurricane season approaching.
• The administration has also frozen disaster relief funds and cut anti-terrorism grants, further straining FEMA's capacity to address emergencies.