Congress Must Reject Calls to Gut FEMA’s Life-Saving Resources
Washington, D.C. — Over 40 organizations today urged members of Congress to reject calls from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The groups warn that gutting FEMA’s programs and resources and shifting its responsibilities to under-resourced state and local governments would leave millions of Americans vulnerable to the escalating impacts of climate-related disasters.
The letter comes as the U.S. faces a sharp rise in extreme weather events across the country. FEMA’s ability to provide direct aid to communities post-disaster and administer key programs like the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities initiative and the National Flood Insurance Program are critical to help communities prepare for, and recover from, disaster.
“Calls to gut FEMA in the age of climate change are not just unthinkable—they’re a slap in the face to communities across the country dealing with the impacts from severe thunderstorms, hurricanes, floods, and wildfires,” says Deanna Noel, climate campaigns director with Public Citizen’s Climate Program. “The federal government’s first responders to disasters are the employees from FEMA. Gutting the federal governments’ emergency response essentially blindfolds officials from the suffering and frontline needs after major disasters strike. Our elected officials must stand up for their constituents, not bow to a dangerous agenda that abandons our communities when they are most vulnerable.”
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