Trump Panel Recommends FEMA Respond to Fewer Disasters

Key Points:

• An expert panel appointed by President Trump recommended that FEMA streamline federal disaster aid delivery while shifting more responsibility and costs to state governments, suggesting significant changes to disaster recovery funding and survivor housing.
• The panel criticized FEMA for becoming overly involved in long-term recovery and politicized, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic, and called for refocusing the agency on its original mission.
• The recommendations come amid increasing disaster costs driven by climate change, with billion-dollar disasters causing over $100 billion in damages last year and a strong El Niño expected to bring more extreme weather.
• While the proposed changes align with President Trump's view that FEMA is too costly and inefficient, critics worry that many state, tribal, and territorial governments, especially in rural areas, may struggle to assume greater disaster management responsibilities without federal support.
• The panel's recommendations require congressional action and could accelerate shifts in FEMA's role that state and local emergency officials have been adapting to since early 2019.