In his first Capitol Hill appearance, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency trumpeted the administration’s response to the deadly Texas floods, saying it could serve as a model elsewhere. But a top Democrat feared Texans were being used as “guinea pigs” as President Donald Trump eyes dismantling FEMA.
At a House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Emergency Management hearing Wednesday, acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson defended his actions in Texas, despite not making a public appearance in the state until over a week after after the disaster. The flash floods killed more than 130 people.
Richardson said he was in touch with state leadership there and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, beginning immediately after the flooding. FEMA is housed under the Homeland Security Department.
“I can’t see anything that we did wrong,” he said. “We would like to take the strengths that we did in Texas, and we’re going to share them with other states.”
