Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, opened a key hearing to evaluate FEMA’s role in disaster response, its expanded mission, and areas in need of reform. The hearing, which comes after a year of record-breaking disasters, raises questions about FEMA’s efficiency, impartiality, and ability to focus on its core mission.
Washington D.C. — Today, Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL) opened a pivotal hearing in the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, focusing on FEMA’s current operations, its handling of taxpayer dollars, and the growing demands of its mission. Strong, with over 40 years of experience as a first responder, expressed concerns over FEMA’s ability to manage its expanded responsibilities without compromising its core mission.
“As the nation’s primary disaster relief agency, FEMA is integral to managing emergencies, but recent events show there’s room for improvement,” Strong stated, emphasizing that state and local governments need more effective support. In 2024 alone, FEMA responded to 100 Major Disaster Declarations, underscoring the severity of recent natural disasters.
With damage from 2024’s hurricanes and wildfires topping $182.7 billion, Strong questioned FEMA’s ability to respond effectively. He also highlighted the increasing cost of disaster relief, with California’s recent fires potentially surpassing Hurricane Katrina’s costliest disaster record.
“FEMA is overstretched,” Strong argued, pointing to its expanding mission set. Beyond traditional disaster response, FEMA has become involved in handling humanitarian crises, such as providing shelter to migrants and refugees. This shift, according to Strong, has strained resources, making it harder for the agency to fulfill its core disaster response duties.
The hearing also discussed concerns over FEMA’s efficiency, citing a recent GAO report that revealed $4.8 million in duplicate payments under FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program. Additionally, Strong raised alarm over allegations of partisanship, noting that FEMA staff were accused of preventing canvassing in Trump-supporting neighborhoods after Hurricane Milton last year.
To address these challenges, Strong praised President Trump’s January Executive Order establishing a FEMA Review Council tasked with recommending reforms. “Even the best agencies need reform, and FEMA is no exception,” Strong stated, urging the council to consider restructuring FEMA or returning it to an independent agency outside the Department of Homeland Security.
One proposed change includes altering the relationship between FEMA and state and local governments, with Strong suggesting that FEMA might need to share more responsibility with local entities to improve efficiency and better prepare for future disasters.
“FEMA’s mission creep has become a problem. The agency is trying to do too much with too little,” Strong concluded. He invited witnesses to share their perspectives on how FEMA can refocus on its primary mission of disaster response, ensure impartiality, and reform its operational structure for greater efficiency.
The hearing marks the beginning of a broader conversation about how FEMA can evolve to meet the growing and evolving challenges of disaster management, all while ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent effectively and fairly. As Strong puts it, “Our states and localities deserve all the help they can get in protecting people’s lives and property.”
This hearing could be the first step toward significant reforms in FEMA, a crucial agency tasked with safeguarding communities from the growing frequency and intensity of natural disasters.