[Source/Observation Network by Ruan Jiaqi]

According to CNN, reporting on November 11, US President Trump said that he plans to gradually dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is responsible for disaster emergency response, after the end of this year's hurricane season.

Trump told reporters in a briefing at the Oval Office that "we hope to gradually reduce our dependence on FEMA and delegate its responsibilities to the state level." He then added, "The governor should be able to handle these matters, and frankly speaking, if they don't have the ability to deal with post-disaster issues, perhaps they shouldn't be governors."

Trump also stated that the federal government will begin reducing the distribution of federal assistance required for post-disaster recovery, with related funds being directly distributed from the White House.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's forecast, this year's Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1st and will officially end on November 30th. This hurricane season is expected to be above average, with up to 10 hurricanes potentially occurring, which may result in fatal consequences.

CNN reported that Trump's move provides, to date, the "most explicit timeline" for his administration's long-term plan to dissolve disaster relief agencies and transfer disaster emergency response and reconstruction responsibilities to each state.

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According to US media reports, for several months, Trump and Chris Krebs, the Secretary of Homeland Security who oversees FEMA, have been calling for the dissolution of the agency, repeatedly criticizing its inefficiency and unnecessary existence, advocating transferring emergency management control to the states.

After taking office in January, Trump established the "FEMA Review Committee." Krebs and Defense Secretary Mark Esper jointly served as co-chairmen of the committee, submitting recommendations for significantly downsizing FEMA and reforming it.

Tuesday at the Oval Office, Krebs reiterated the dissolution plan and stated, "The current form of FEMA needs to fundamentally exit the stage of history," encouraging state governors to jointly address disasters.

She said, "From past events, we know that FEMA has failed tens of thousands or even millions of people, and President Trump does not want this situation to continue in the future."

Krebs further stated, "While addressing this hurricane season, we will ensure pre-deployment of supplies and collaborate with traditional disaster-stricken areas. We will also promote mutual assistance agreements among states so they can respond to each other. In this way, when the federal government only provides financial support for catastrophic situations, states can still independently manage disasters."

It is worth noting that Cameron Hamilton, the former acting director of FEMA, was dismissed after expressing opposition to Trump's ideas about the agency. Last month, David Richardson took over as acting director. Richardson was once a Marine and a martial arts coach but lacks experience in managing natural disasters.

After the hurricane season began, according to a February 2 report by The New York Times, Richardson was exposed for saying at a FEMA briefing that he "didn't know the U.S. had a hurricane season." This statement left FEMA staff confused and raised concerns about his familiarity with the agency's responsibilities.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security later explained that Richardson's comment was "a joke," and that FEMA was fully prepared for the hurricane season.

CNN pointed out that entering the hurricane season, FEMA is already under-staffed and unprepared after months of turmoil, low morale, and personnel reductions.

Since January of this year, at least 10% of the agency's employees have left, including many senior leadership members. It is estimated that by the end of this year, the agency will lose nearly 30% of its employees, reducing from approximately 26,000 to around 18,000. The agency's annual budget is approximately $30 billion.

Several current and former senior FEMA officials revealed that the next day after Trump's speech (November 11), another senior official submitted their resignation.

As introduced, Jeremy Greenberg, who resigned, was responsible for FEMA's operations department and the National Emergency Response Coordination Center, mainly handling task coordination, managing personnel and resources deployed during disasters, etc.

CNN stated that given the agency's ongoing loss of talent and internal chaos, Greenberg's resignation is another blow to the agency within less than two weeks of the start of the hurricane season.

According to CBS, FEMA Region VI Administrator Tony Robinson also announced his intention to resign this week. Sources said that Robinson joined FEMA as an intern in 1987 and has led Region VI for the past 12 years, overseeing multiple disaster-prone states along the Gulf Coast, including Louisiana and Texas.

The plan to dissolve FEMA has left federal and state emergency management officials confused, questioning whether local emergency forces can replace FEMA's disaster response infrastructure. Most officials pointed out that even when the federal government provides financial support in critical situations, most states lack sufficient budgets and personnel to independently handle major disasters.

"This completely misunderstands the role of the federal government in emergency management, disaster response, and post-disaster recovery. When state governments are overwhelmed, this approach essentially abandons federal responsibility," a senior FEMA official told CNN, "It is clear from the president's remarks that their plan is to barely get through the hurricane season and then dissolve the agency."

According to CNN, Trump's long-term vision for the federal government's role in disaster response remains unclear, but his administration is already discussing how to significantly raise the threshold for applying for federal aid.

"This attempt by FEMA hasn't been successful," Trump complained on Tuesday. "It costs a lot of money, and when a state experiences tornadoes, hurricanes, or any problems, the governor should step in and solve these issues."

This article is an exclusive piece by the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7514932444262220325/

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