Some Republican lawmakers are concerned about the Trump administration’s plan to further gut — possibly abolish — the Federal Emergency Management Agency and are seeking answers from the president and Elon Musk, CNN reported Friday.
The Trump administration fired roughly 200 probationary employees at FEMA beginning over the holiday weekend. Further, the agency was instructed this week to “come up with employee reductions far beyond the probationary list,” including “anyone who worked or works on climate, environmental justice, equity, DEIA,” both CNN and Politico reported, citing an internal memo.
“This will impact the majority of our staff,” the FEMA email says, according to the reports.
FEMA employs more than 20,000 people nationwide.
Members of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have been at FEMA offices, meeting with staff and reviewing files, according to CNN.
In a statement to the outlets, Department of Homeland Security said it fired “non-mission critical personnel in probationary status” and is “actively identifying other wasteful positions and offices that do not fulfill DHS’ mission.”
However, the moves have caused alarm for some Republicans, especially those in locales prone to natural disasters, CNN reported.
“If it’s with an eye towards more efficiency and resiliency, great. If it’s an eye towards cutting funding to western North Carolina, not great,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told CNN.
Tillis and other Republicans are in favor of reforming FEMA, not necessarily abolishing it. President Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers alike assailed the agency for bypassing Trump supporters in the aftermath of two major hurricanes that lashed Florida and North Carolina.
“Whether FEMA exists or not, there needs to be an agency that provides emergency management services when catastrophes are too big for the state and local community to handle,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., told CNN. “Could there be reforms in FEMA? Absolutely.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said, “I feel confident the president knows full well the importance of FEMA and responding to a disaster," he told CNN.
Trump also created a FEMA Review Council, led by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to recommend changes, according to the reports.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., told CNN he supports the commission and the pursuit of eliminating the bureaucracy but not the elimination of FEMA. Instead, Moskowitz said he wants FEMA reporting into the White House directly instead of DHS and has proposed legislation to that effect.
“Eliminating FEMA is not the solution to its challenges and will disproportionally hurt rural or poor communities,” he told CNN.
One Republican lawmaker told CNN “you probably need two people” at FEMA, down from the 25,000 it is now.
“A director and somebody to run the computer, probably a young person and say, ‘OK boom,’ check goes out,” Rep. Rick Allen, R-Ga., said.