Trump Creates FEMA Review Council: ‘Greatly Improved’
President Donald Trump put the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under review on Sunday after signing an executive order aimed at “drastically” improving the agency’s effectiveness, priorities and efficiency.
Trump’s executive order establishes a FEMA Review Council composed of no more than 20 members and chaired by the secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense.
The council was created after FEMA’s response to Hurricane Helene and other recent disasters “demonstrated the need to improve efficiency, priorities, and efficiency of the FEMA bureaucracy in disaster response” to assess whether it is hindering its ability to respond successfully.
“Despite requiring nearly $30 billion in disaster relief in each of the past three years, FMA has managed to leave vulnerable Americans without the resources or support they need when they need it most,” the executive order reads. “There are serious issues of political bias at FEMA. In fact, at least one former FEMA respondent said that FEMA administrators ordered her to stay away from the homes of individuals who supported Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign.”
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A drone view shows Walgreens damaged by Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Reuters/Marco Bello)
Trump also said that FEMA has lost mission focus, leaving limited resources and personnel to support missions outside of its scope and authority. The president specifically emphasized that FEMA has spent more than a billion dollars to take in illegal immigrants.
“Americans deserve prompt, effective and independent response and disaster recovery,” the order continued. “Therefore, FEMA will require a comprehensive review by individuals with significant experience in disaster response and recovery, who will recommend to the President reforms or structural changes to advance the national interest and enable national stability.”
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President Donald Trump has shared plans to overhaul FEMA after saying he thinks the agency is “not good.” (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Trump announced Friday plans to overhaul FEMA as North Carolina is still recovering from the storm more than 120 days after the storm devastated the state.
“I’m also going to sign an executive order to start the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA,” Trump told reporters in North Carolina on Friday morning. “I think, frankly, FEMA is not good.”
A fire erupted in Los Angeles County, California, after the fast-moving Husk ordered evacuations.
A van floats in floodwaters near Biltmore Village after Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Trump vowed his administration would step in and help North Carolina fix the damage quickly, promising to “do a good job” for the state.
The President also stated that he would like to see the regions take more responsibility when disaster strikes, adding that people who know the region are better equipped to respond and provide assistance.
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So far, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is only half-completed with Hurricane Helene recovery. In addition, thousands of families in North Carolina stay in hotels that FEMA bills through the Transitional Housing Assistance Program.
Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy contributed to this report.