A rare example of internal dissent at the agency was the letter, which was sent on Monday and signed by 146 unnamed FEMA employees.
The agency’s current leaders, including acting FEMA director David Richardson and the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), allegedly lack the skills to handle natural disasters and are putting an end to its ability to deal with hurricanes and other emergencies.
The letter notes that “we must warn Congress and the American people of the cascading effects of decisions made by the current administration because of our shared commitment to our country, our oaths of office, and our mission to helping people before, during, and after disasters.”
Noem recently instituted a requirement that requires her office to personally review and approve all contracts and grants over $100,000. The letter states that this condition “reduces FEMA’s authority and capabilities to quickly deliver our mission.”
It also criticizes the agency’s workforce, the agency’s restraining program, and the DHS’s decision to assign some FEMA employees to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency’s 140 employees took administrative leave after signing a similar statement.
The FEMA letter highlights the “inefficiencies, ineffectiveness, and dangers of the processes and decisions put forth by the current administration” in light of the recent flooding in Texas, which resulted in at least 135 fatalities as a result.
Democrats have accused President Donald Trump of politicising a tragedy by denying that cuts to government agencies caused the disaster response.
In order to prevent “next national catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina” and the effective dissolution of FEMA itself, the letter urges Congress to establish an independent cabinet-level agency that is free from DHS interference and to shield employees from politically motivated firings.
The acting FEMA press secretary, Daniel Llargues, stated that the organization is “committed to ensuring FEMA delivers for the American people.” He continued, noting that the Trump administration “has made accountability and reform a priority” and that FEMA has been hampered by bureaucracy and inefficiencies.
DHS did not respond to a request for comment on the criticisms of Noem.
This year, roughly 2, 000 FEMA employees, or a third of its workforce, have been fired, bought out, or taken out of early retirement. Additionally, the Trump administration intends to reduce its emergency management programs by about $1 billion in grant funding.
More than 1, 800 people died in August 2005, when Katrina claimed the lives of more than 1, 800 people along the Gulf Coast, and the protest letter was sent just days before the 20th anniversary of the disaster.
Two months into the US hurricane season, it was also delivered, at a time when Trump had stated he wanted to significantly reduce FEMA’s size and mandate, leaving individual states with much more of the burden of responding to natural disasters.
The current acting administrator, Richardson, is a former US Marine and DHS official without any prior emergency management experience.
