Trump Admin Scrambles as FEMA Reform Vote Falls Apart
A planned vote on a high-stakes overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was abruptly canceled on Thursday, creating fresh uncertainty over the future of disaster response policy under the Trump administration. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had left a House Homeland Security Committee hearing early to attend the session meant to approve the FEMA Review Council’s final recommendations — but the meeting never happened.
The cancellation occurred minutes before the 1 p.m. EST start time, raising questions about internal coordination between the Department of Homeland Security and the White House. The council was expected to publicly present a report on proposed reforms to FEMA that could reshape how the federal government helps states respond to disasters.
According to Politico, officials were displeased after CNN obtained and published a copy of the draft report ahead of schedule, and abruptly called off the vote to signal the document was not final. A separate account via CNN affiliate KTVZ said senior White House officials hadn’t been fully briefed on the report’s latest draft, prompting the cancellation.
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One White House official, speaking on background, told CNN the meeting was canceled because leadership was not prepared to present the recommendations as they currently stood.
The abrupt shelving of the session underscores growing tension over the overhaul plan and how much authority the White House and Noem should have in shaping FEMA’s future. Critics of the process, including some emergency management officials, have expressed concern that key recommendations may be altered or omitted.
The unsuccessful meeting leaves unanswered how and when the council will finalize its report, and whether the administration will pursue the proposed reforms before year’s end. No new date for the vote has been announced.
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