President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 24 calling for the creation of a council to review the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), citing concerns over political bias within the agency.
FEMA has failed to provide vulnerable Americans with the resources and support they needed during difficult times, “despite obligating nearly $30 billion in disaster aid” annually over the past three years, it reads.
In addition, the order states there were “serious concerns of political bias” within FEMA, and that resources had been used to support missions beyond the agency’s scope, including activities that support illegal aliens.
“Indeed, at least one former FEMA responder has stated that FEMA managers directed her to avoid homes of individuals supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump for President,” the order states.
“FEMA therefore requires a full-scale review, by individuals highly experienced at effective disaster response and recovery, who shall recommend to the President improvements or structural changes to promote the national interest and enable national resilience.”
The order calls for the creation of a review council consisting of relevant federal agency leaders and “distinguished individuals” from non-governmental sectors selected by Trump. The council will be co-chaired by the secretaries of homeland security and defense.
Trump directed the council to hold its first public meeting within 90 days and submit a report detailing its assessment of FEMA’s disaster response efforts over the past four years.
The council will evaluate whether FEMA can serve as a support agency providing supplemental federal assistance, and will recommend reforms to promote the national interest, according to the order.
Trump signed the order following his Jan. 24 visit to areas in western North Carolina that were severely affected by Hurricane Helene last year. The president has signaled that he is considering whether to abolish FEMA.
“I think, frankly, FEMA is not good. I think when you have a problem like this ... you want to use your state to fix it, and not waste time calling FEMA.”
Trump said he would provide direct aid from the federal government to North Carolina so it could “come back bigger, better, stronger than ever before.” He said the timeline for federal aid would be immediate so infrastructure rebuilding can commence.
North Carolina was among the states most affected by Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 tropical storm, when it made landfall in the southern U.S. in late September 2024.
In addition, the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $213 million in low-interest loans for survivors, which carry zero percent interest for the first year, the agency said.
FEMA stated that nearly 13,000 survivor households in western North Carolina used its short-term sheltering program, which offers hotel rooms for displaced residents as they search for permanent housing solutions. The agency said it conducts a review every two weeks to ensure that the rooms are being used by those in need.
Cam Hamilton, the acting FEMA head, wrote to staff on Friday 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.
