US Homeland Security Secretary Calls for New Federal Emergency Management Agency

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) should be abolished in its current form and reconfigured to respond more effectively to natural disasters, US Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noam said, as quoted by Reuters and BTA.

The agency noted that the secretary has previously expressed similar ideas about the future of FEMA, but is now making his remarks as agency teams are deployed to Texas to help with rescue efforts after flash floods on July 4 that killed at least 119 people, with dozens more still missing.

Noam, who chairs the FEMA Review Board, noted that the agency has provided resources and supported efforts search and recovery agency in Texas, but criticized it for what she said were past failures to respond effectively to disasters.

“The federal response has been slow. That's why this entire agency should be eliminated in its current form and transformed into a rapid response agency,“ Nome said.

Defenders of the agency say the Trump administration is seeking to politicize a vital government agency that helps states both prepare for and recover from natural disasters like hurricanes and floods.