Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ) discussed the need to preserve the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during a House Transportation Subcommittee hearing on reforming the agency, which he supported against calls for its elimination.
Rep. Stanton began his questioning by noting that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem recently stated she intends to "get rid of FEMA the way it exists today," a move backed by President Donald Trump, which has given some Republicans pause.
Speaking to Kevin Guthrie, the Executive Director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management, Rep. Stanton acknowledged the Sunshine State's ability to respond to disasters but asked, "How would post-disaster outcomes for Floridians be impacted if FEMA were eliminated?"
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Guthrie answered, "At the end of the day, we need federal support," arguing that FEMA's "federal support, state-managed, locally executed" approach needs greater emphasis on the "state-managed" aspect.
"But to the point, we do need federal support," Guthrie continued, adding, "Florida can probably handle 95% to 97% of what we do on a day-to-day basis. But, for example, in Hurricane Helene and Milton, we need a million gallons of fuel. We went to FEMA, who went to the Department of Defense and Department of Logistics agency to meet that need. So again, even a highly capable capacity state like Florida from time to time needs federal support."
The Arizona Congressman then asked the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) Homeland Security and Justice Team Director Chris Currie if he believed Cameron Hamilton, Trump's appointed Acting FEMA Administrator, was qualified for the role.
Currie replied that "the ideal state is having a Senate-confirmed Administrator. The Senate confirmation process is the process for vetting a candidate's experience and their ability to do that job effectively."
Stanton seemed to agree, recalling the 2005 response to Hurricane Katrina as an example of how an unqualified leader can affect emergency response.
"What should this administration and this Congress consider to ensure that we do not cripple FEMA's lifesaving responsibilities when attempting to reform this critical agency?" Stanton asked Currie.
The Director said, "There are things that work well in the current system. The problem is that you do not hear good news often. There are things that work; we want to keep those. We want to fix the things that do not work. The other thing I will say is [that] we have to fix the root causes. If we just move agencies, rename agencies, rename programs, but do not fix the root causes, none of this is going to change."
