More than 180 current and former employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency The letter was published on Monday Warning that reducing the weakness of agencies responsible for handling federal disaster responses will risk catastrophes like we saw later. Hurricane Katrina.
“Our shared commitment to our country, our oath of our country, our job, and our mission to help people before, during and after disasters is forced to warn Congress and the American people of the impact of the current administration’s decision,” the letter states.
The statements within it are noteworthy not only about its content but also its overall presence. The Trump administration’s fierce approach to critics made many in the federal government hesitate before locking their heads alongside the White House.
The letter matches Hurricane Katrina 20th Anniversary Weekwhen more than 1,800 people died and a major failure in the federal response occurred, Congress was urged to pass the Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006.
The letter warns that FEMA’s poor management and erosioned capabilities could lead to excessive advances in improving the institution through its law.
“Twenty years from now, FEMA has instituted a process and leadership structure that reflects the conditions that Pkemra has designed to prevent,” he said.
It arises amidst the uncertainty of FEMA
The letter is addressed to the FEMA Review Council, a group of 12 people in which the president is primarily a Republican state elected officials, emergency managers and other officials. Donald Trump He was appointed to propose reforms to the institutions he has repeatedly had. He threatened to eliminate him.
It comes after a few months of drastic changes at FEMA. A third of the agency’s full-time workforce, including many high-level staff, have either left or been fired. Cameron Hamilton, acting chief of the agency, was fired in May and replaced by another acting director, David Richardson. Neither of them have any previous emergency management experience.
FEMA’s response to the July Texas flood that killed at least 136 people I was criticized The urban search and rescue team was deployed late as the Secretary of Homeland Security imposes policies after reports of survivors calling on FEMA. Christie Noem You must personally approve spending over $100,000.
The letter contains six “opposition statements” to FEMA’s current policy, including its expenditure approval policy. It says it will reduce the ability of signatories to carry out MISMA’s missions.
It also criticizes DHS’ decision to reassign some FEMA employees Immigration and customs enforcementdid not appoint qualified FEMA administrators as stipulated in the law, resulting in mitigation programs, preparatory training and reducing the FEMA workforce.
The letter is trying to establish FEMA as a cabinet-level agent
The letter was also sent to parliamentary committees, calling on lawmakers to establish CHOLMA as an independent body at the administrative department at the cabinet level. Bipartisan Amend emergency controls of Americans or FEMA ActIt was featured at home last month and suggests the same thing.
The 35 signatories included their names. According to the letter, 141 anonymous signatories “choose not to identify themselves because of the culture of fear and oppression cultivated by this administration.”
Employees of other agencies including National Institutes of Health The Environmental Protection Agency issued a similar statement. There were about 140 EPA staff members. Be placed on administrative leave To sign the opposition letter.
The FEMA Review Council will meet for the third time this Thursday.
