Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds has called for a significant restructuring of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), criticizing its bureaucratic delays and suggesting a direct reporting line to the White House. His comments, made on Fox Business’s “The Bottom Line” on Tuesday, highlighted ongoing issues with disaster recovery efforts in states like Florida and North Carolina.
Donalds, in collaboration with Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz, has introduced legislation aimed at removing FEMA from the Department of Homeland Security, proposing it become an independent agency reporting directly to the President.
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“Well, I think that what needs to happen is you got to get it out of Homeland Security,” Donalds stated. “That’s why I filed the bill with Jared Moskowitz out of Florida to do just that. Get it out of Homeland and out of that bureaucracy. Have it be a direct report agency to the White House. So the president working with the governor in that particular state can get real-time decisions occurring so people can get back on their feet.”
The Florida congressman expressed frustration with FEMA’s track record, citing unresolved claims from past hurricanes, including Katrina, Ian, Helene, and Milton. He emphasized the prolonged recovery periods faced by states like North Carolina and Florida.
“Look, FEMA’s failures have been reported on for, frankly, over a decade. The secretary said Katrina claims are still outstanding. I can tell you Hurricane Ian claims are still outstanding. And we haven’t even gotten to Helene and Milton from last year,” Donalds said. “North Carolina still has a lot of recovery work to do. Obviously, Florida is still doing recovery work. A lot of this disaster recovery really falls on governors.”
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Donalds praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his leadership in the state’s recovery efforts but argued that FEMA’s inefficiencies hinder even the most effective state-level responses.
“Governor DeSantis in our state has done a tremendous job with that. Other governors, not so much. But FEMA needs to be an action agency, not the bureaucratic agency it has become. It needs real reforms. So, to quote the secretary, as it exists today, FEMA needs to end,” Donalds said. “This is why the president and his team are going through the process of reforming FEMA, creating a new agency that can be responsive to the American people.”
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His comments come amidst ongoing discussions about reforming FEMA, with the Trump administration having previously initiated efforts to shift more disaster response authority to states.
The administration had also criticized FEMA’s performance, citing issues such as delayed aid, alleged political bias, and inefficient resource allocation. Previous reports detailed FEMA’s backlash after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, including claims of staff being instructed to avoid aiding homes with pro-Trump signs, and the agency’s struggle to manage high call volumes.
The proposed overhaul seeks to address these concerns by streamlining FEMA’s operations and ensuring more efficient and responsive disaster relief.
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