Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, struck a conciliatory tone on federal emergency management during his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Rejecting the idea of eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Mullin pledged to undo some of his predecessor's unpopular policies, offering a vision that raised cautious hope among disaster response managers.
Mullin, a senator from Oklahoma, told fellow Oklahoma Senator James Lankford that FEMA has a great mission and that its staff want to do their jobs. He backed reforms to make the agency more effective, speed up payments to state and local jurisdictions, and better serve rural communities. His remarks come after months of turbulence under outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem, whose tenure saw staff reductions, program cuts, and delays in disaster declarations and spending.
Former FEMA officials expressed optimism about Mullin's comments. Deanne Criswell, FEMA administrator under President Joe Biden, said Mullin understands the importance of FEMA and the essential partnership with the agency. Pete Gaynor, FEMA administrator during Trump's first term, called Mullin's remarks an impressive and meaningful first step forward.
Mullin maintained that disaster response should be locally led with FEMA in a supporting role, an approach already outlined in the agency's mission. He criticised lengthy reimbursement times, stating that taking years or even months to get reimbursed is unacceptable. Pressed by Democratic Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey, Mullin said he would revoke Noem's directive requiring her personal approval for expenditures over $100,000, a rule that had infuriated lawmakers from both parties.
Mullin also committed to working with lawmakers on potential FEMA reforms, acknowledging that significant changes require legislative action. He told Kim he was already looking at potential nominees for a permanent FEMA administrator, a position that remains unfilled under its third temporary leader. Amanda Devecka-Renear, executive director of the New Jersey Organizing Project, said disaster survivors have been misled by hollow rhetoric before and will be watching closely to see if Mullin's actions match his words.
