Lawmakers and experts called for an overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency at a congressional hearing Tuesday but stopped short of embracing President Donald Trump’s suggestion to eliminate the agency.
Emergency management leaders and former FEMA senior officials told a House Homeland Security Committee panel about ways to improve the agency that leads the federal response to disasters and spends $45 billion a year on recovery.
“Even the best government agencies are in continual need of reform, and FEMA is no exception,” said Rep. Dale Strong (R-Ala.), chair of the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology.
The hearing comes at an uncertain time for FEMA. Trump suggested in January that the agency should “go away,” leaving control of emergency management to the states. Hundreds were laid off at the agency last month as part of sweeping dismissals of probationary workers across the executive branch.
