Thompson and Kennedy Call for Investigation into Trump Administration’s Dangerous Staffing Cuts to FEMA
(WASHINGTON) – Yesterday, Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology Ranking Member Tim Kennedy (D-NY) requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) immediately investigate planned workforce reductions at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and assess the impact on FEMA’s operational readiness and ability to carry out its life-saving mission.
The Members cited reporting that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to eliminate more than 10,000 FEMA positions — roughly half the agency’s workforce — and has already begun carrying out cuts, including to personnel actively supporting communities recovering from recent disasters.
The Members noted that GAO recently added disaster assistance delivery to its high-risk list and found that workforce gaps have undermined FEMA’s readiness for years. “With FEMA already struggling to meet its life-saving mission due to staffing shortages, DHS’s pursuit of further workforce cuts is unconscionable,” the Members wrote.
The letter asks GAO to examine whether DHS-directed workforce reductions comply with federal law; the extent to which they would impair FEMA’s ability to fulfill its statutory responsibilities; the role of DHS leadership in directing the decisions; and whether DHS or FEMA conducted risk analyses of the operational impacts.
“Given FEMA’s essential role in protecting lives and property and the scale of the workforce reductions described in recent reporting, GAO’s independent oversight is critical to ensuring accountability and informing Congress of the full operational and legal implications of these actions,” the Members wrote.
A copy of the letter can be found here.
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