The Washington, D.C., shakeup continues as the Trump administration continues to attempt to cut the fat, and do away with waste, thereby sometimes shocking the Democrats' sensibilities.
This appears to be the case after news broke that the Secretary of Homeland Security let slip that another beloved federal agency is on the chopping block, and by now, everyone knows the administration is serious, as The Hill reported.
In this case, it's not USAID or the Department of Education (though those cuts did run deep) but the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) whose days are numbered.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a meeting with cabinet members earlier this week that she plans to "eliminate" FEMA, sending shockwaves through Washington.
For context, while FEMA has been a lifesaver to many (literally and figuratively), in recent years, it's also become a money pit without accountability or efficiency and is believed to be rife with corruption and theft.
While providing a status report on border security, Noem also stated, "We're going to eliminate FEMA." She, however, did not provide further details.
“That’s great. Great job,” President Trump said — appearing to respond to her broader status update.
Trump has voiced his strong disapproval of the emergency management agency and has even hinted at the possibility of eliminating it.
“I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA. I think, frankly, FEMA’s not good,” Trump said in January.
Instead of dismantling the agency, a recent executive order from the White House requested a review of disaster response policies.
That executive action called on the Homeland Security secretary to propose changes to ensure “state and local governments and individuals have improved communications with Federal officials and a better understanding of the Federal role.”
FEMA is responsible for the coordination of disaster response in the immediate aftermath of hurricanes and also assists with the long-term recovery process.
Democrats responded to Noem's statement, looking for all the world like narcissists about to lose their supply, asserting that eliminating FEMA would constitute desertion for communities in need.
“The Trump Administration’s grand plan for victims of natural disasters is to abandon them—and it’s a complete non-starter,” Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) said in a written statement.
“This rash decision will harm ongoing disaster recovery efforts, and make it impossible to respond after the next natural disaster,” he added.
