WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday issued an executive order establishing a review board to evaluate the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), stopping short of taking immediate action to close or reshape the nation's main disaster response agency.
The order calls for the creation of a council consisting of relevant federal leaders and “distinguished individuals” chosen by Trump from outside the government. Trump called on the council to hold its first public meeting within 90 days and to submit a report to it within 180 days of the first meeting.
Trump raised the idea of closing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during a trip on Friday to disaster zones in North Carolina and California, and pledged to sign an executive order to reform or eliminate the agency.
The Republican president accused the Federal Emergency Management Agency of sabotaging emergency relief efforts there, and said he would prefer that states receive federal funds to deal with disasters on their own.
Trump said in his executive order that there were “serious concerns” about political bias at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and that agency funds were used for programs related to incoming immigrants.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) brings emergency personnel, supplies and equipment to help areas begin to recover from natural disasters. The agency's funding has increased in recent years as extreme weather events have increased demand for its services.
Cam Hamilton, acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), wrote to employees on Friday to reassure them that the agency's continued presence is vital to the nation's disaster response efforts.
“FEMA is an important agency that performs an essential mission to support our national security,” he wrote.
Last year, the agency faced misinformation, including information related to disaster responses in Florida and North Carolina.
