Rebuild FEMA’s Capacity Before the Next Disaster Strikes

Act Now to Restore the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) I urge you to take immediate congressional action to return the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to its full post-Katrina strength. On August 25, more than 180 FEMA employees - 36 by name - released a letter warning that decisions by agency leadership and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are dismantling disaster readiness. They caution that unless Congress intervenes, the nation risks another Katrina-level catastrophe. Install Qualified Leaders at FEMA The current acting administrator, David Richardson, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem lack the qualifications to lead FEMA and have centralized decisions that undercut post-Katrina reforms. Richardson has even been reported as unfamiliar with the U.S. hurricane season, a shocking gap for the nation’s disaster chief. Without experienced leaders, FEMA cannot be trusted to guide communities through hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. Stop Bureaucratic Delays That Cost Lives Secretary Noem now requires her personal approval of FEMA spending over $100,000. This has caused damaging delays, including during the July floods in Texas, when communities waited for relief while paperwork stalled. In disasters, every hour matters. Restore Programs and Rebuild the Workforce Hazard mitigation grants, resilience programs, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training, and the National Fire Academy have been cut or suspended. At the same time, FEMA has suffered significant attrition from firings, buyouts, hiring freezes, and contract cancellations. These losses drain the knowledge and staffing needed for rapid response. Reinstate Climate and Risk Planning Tools FEMA has lost essential resources, including the Future Risk Index and access to climate data. Removing these tools prevents accurate forecasting and leaves the agency blind to escalating threats tied to climate change. Take Strong Congressional Action Congress must: • Elevate FEMA to a Cabinet-level agency, independent of DHS control. • Restore funding for mitigation, resilience, and training programs. • Reverse attrition policies and rebuild staffing. • Reestablish scientific and climate-based planning tools. Protect Americans From Preventable Disasters FEMA’s employees have raised the alarm. To ignore them is to gamble with American lives. Congress must pass legislation and secure emergency appropriations to restore FEMA’s strength. Disasters will not wait for bureaucracy - the nation needs FEMA fully empowered today.