Trump establishes council to review federal disaster response agency
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Residents impacted by the Altadena Fire at a Fema disaster recovery centre in Pasadena, California, on Jan 17.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
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WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on Jan 26 issued an executive order establishing a review council to evaluate the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), stopping short of instant action to shut or reshape the country’s lead disaster response agency.
The order calls for the establishment of council made up of relevant federal leaders and “distinguished individuals” selected by Mr Trump from outside government.
He called on the council to hold its first public meeting within 90 days and submit a report to him within 180 days of the first meeting.
Mr Trump raised the idea of shuttering Fema
The Republican President accused Fema of bungling emergency relief efforts there and said he preferred that states be given federal money to handle disasters themselves.
Mr Trump said in his executive order that there were “serious concerns” of political bias at Fema and that agency funds had been used for programmes related to incoming migrants.
Fema brings in emergency personnel, supplies and equipment to help areas begin to recover from natural disasters. Funding for the agency has soared in recent years as extreme weather events have increased the demand for its services.
Mr Cam Hamilton, the acting Fema head, wrote to staff on Jan 24 reassuring them that the agency’s continued existence was vital to the country’s disaster response efforts.
“Fema is a critical agency which performs an essential mission in support of our national security,” he wrote.
The agency in the past year has battled misinformation, including about disaster responses in Florida and North Carolina. REUTERS
