A Senate committee approved the nomination of Cameron Hamilton to run the Federal Emergency Management Agency Wednesday.
Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee were joined by Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) in voting for Hamilton to become the first permanent FEMA administrator in President Donald Trump’s current term.
The committee’s six other Democrats voted against Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL and Republican congressional candidate, in a quick roll call. Hamilton’s nomination moves to the full Senate, which is scheduled to start a five-week recess Aug. 8 that will run through the peak of hurricane season.
Hamilton was FEMA’s acting administrator from the start of Trump’s second term until he was fired in May 2025 after calling the agency essential, contradicting Trump’s vows at the time to abolish or weaken FEMA. Hamilton also clashed with his boss, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
