On April 28 local time, U.S. President Trump announced on his social media platform that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Review Committee was officially established, with members including Defense Secretary Esper, Homeland Security Secretary Wolf, and Governor Abbott.
Trump stated that he believes the new members will work to repair the severely broken system and return power to state emergency management personnel.
In addition, internal emails show that the Trump administration fired all personnel involved in the National Climate Assessment.
On January 24 local time, when Trump arrived in North Carolina to inspect the impacts of Hurricane 'Florence,' he indicated that he was reviewing the functions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and suggested that FEMA should be abolished. On January 26, Trump issued an executive order to establish the FEMA Review Committee.
Earlier reports indicated that officials in the Trump administration discussed making it more difficult to qualify for federal disaster assistance starting this hurricane season. The responsibility for disaster response and community recovery would shift more to the states rather than the federal government.
