A comprehensive draft report proposing critical reforms for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been drastically reduced in size by the Trump administration, according to sources who spoke to The Associated Press. The original 160-page document was cut to a mere 20 pages by the office of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
From Comprehensive Review to Skeletal Draft
According to three individuals familiar with the matter, a council appointed by President Donald Trump completed a substantial draft report in early November. This initial document, spanning over 160 pages, contained nine key principles for reforming FEMA. These included overhauls to public assistance programmes, the national flood insurance system, and direct aid for survivors, alongside proposals to bolster rural resilience and amend the Stafford Act, which governs much of FEMA's authority.
However, after the draft was submitted to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for review and approval, Secretary Noem's office intervened. The report was slashed to approximately 20 pages, a move one former FEMA official starkly described as the document having "got nuked." The sources, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive internal developments, revealed that the revised draft removes entire sections, including those on mitigation programmes and preparedness funding for local agencies.
Political Motives and Potential Consequences
The significant alterations reflect the administration's broader policy to disengage the federal government from disaster management. The intent is to shift more responsibility for preparing, responding, and recovering from climate-fuelled disasters onto states, tribes, and territories. Some of the original recommendations aligned with this vision, such as providing states with upfront direct grants for recovery instead of slower reimbursements.
Nevertheless, critics argue that the manner of the report's reduction and the specific cuts made are politically motivated. They fear that diminishing FEMA's role and funding will leave states and local governments critically unequipped to handle the growing frequency and severity of extreme weather events. Most state and local authorities, they contend, lack the immense financial and logistical capacity to take on a greater share of the rebuilding burden without FEMA's crucial coordinating role.
A Republican-Dominated Process and the Road Ahead
The FEMA Review Council was established by a Trump executive order in January 2025. It is co-chaired by Secretary Noem and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and is composed almost exclusively of members from Republican-led states, including the emergency management directors of Texas and Florida. The council spent nearly a year holding public meetings and closed-door listening sessions across the country, including in disaster-impacted areas like North Carolina and Puerto Rico, to gather broad input.
The final report is expected around December 12. Many of its anticipated recommendations would require congressional action to amend the Stafford Act, while others could be implemented directly by the president or the FEMA administrator. When asked for comment, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated that Secretary Noem is "working hard to implement the President’s vision that will best serve the American public." The DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
