TAMPA, Fla. – As President Donald Trump wraps up his first week in workplace, he has already sparked a significant dialogue on catastrophe response, notably in Florida.
What He is Saying:
Throughout visits to North Carolina and California to survey harm from latest pure disasters, President Trump proposed dismantling the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) and shifting catastrophe reduction duty to particular person states.
“I’ll be signing an govt order to start the method of essentially overhauling FEMA or perhaps eliminating FEMA,” Trump stated. “I believe, frankly, FEMA just isn’t good… FEMA has been a really large disappoint, they price an amazing amount of cash, very bureaucratic and really sluggish.”
RELATED: Trump targets FEMA whereas visiting catastrophe zones in North Carolina, California
Dig deeper:
In Florida, the place residents know the devastation of hurricanes all too nicely, this proposal has raised considerations. State officers warn that with out FEMA, Florida might face important challenges in dealing with the aftermath of highly effective storms like these the state has skilled lately.
“It could bankrupt any state that has the storms we’ve skilled in Florida,” Consultant Lindsay Cross of Pinellas County stated. “The estimated damages of the three hurricanes we had this Fall, together with Debby, Helene and Milton – the value tag is over $220 billion… that’s about double what our state funds is.”
Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith echoed these considerations:
“States simply don’t have the assets to deal with it alone,” Smith stated. “Whereas we’ve got had a state response, that’s an enormous a part of the equation… we additionally want help from the federal authorities as a result of states don’t have limitless assets … I believe Trump’s tune will change if Mar-a-Lago is all of the sudden within the eye of a strong hurricane as so many Floridians have seen over these final a number of years.”
MORE: What’s FEMA? The Federal Emergency Administration Company defined
Can President Trump eradicate FEMA?
Why you need to care:
Whereas the proposal has stirred debate, specialists stated that President Trump might, in principle, eradicate FEMA — however not by himself.
FOX 13’s Political Editor Craig Patrick defined that though Trump has the facility to suggest sweeping adjustments to FEMA, he would want Congress to log off on the concept.
“It’s actually doable the president might eliminate FEMA, however he would want approval from Congress to do this,” Patrick stated. “He would want congressional approval to reorganize the federal government in that means.”
The Supply: The knowledge on this story was gathered by FOX 13’s Evyn Moon.
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