President Donald Trump has unveiled a sweeping plan to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following the conclusion of the 2025 hurricane season. The move, announced during an Oval Office briefing this week, would transfer primary responsibility for managing natural disasters from the federal government to individual states.
Trump stated that after the current hurricane season ends in November, the federal government will begin “weaning off” FEMA, with the goal of ultimately dissolving the agency as it currently exists. The president said future disaster relief funds would be distributed directly from the White House or possibly the Department of Homeland Security, bypassing FEMA’s traditional programs and infrastructure.
Trump emphasized that governors should be able to manage disaster response on their own, saying, “If they can’t handle it, they shouldn’t be governor,” and likened the approach to devolving education responsibilities to the states.
The administration has already begun to reduce FEMA’s budget and workforce, with the agency losing at least 10% of its staff since January and projections suggesting a 30% decline by year’s end.
The Trump administration has established a FEMA Review Council, co-chaired by Secretary Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to recommend reforms in the coming months. While Trump has signed an executive order directing a review of national preparedness policies, fully dismantling FEMA would require congressional action, including amendments to the Stafford Act, which currently governs federal disaster response.
Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees FEMA, have argued that the agency is inefficient, costly, and has failed to adequately respond to past disasters.
Rep. Dan Goldman said both “red” and “blue” states will be affected by natural disasters in the upcoming years.
“I can assure you, to my Republican colleagues, that when your district gets a flood or a tornado or a hurricane, you are going to be coming to FEMA begging for money. And I don’t want to hear a single word from any of my Republican colleagues about where is FEMA when they need emergency management support, because you are voting for a bill that includes nothing, nothing for money that you will need. And you will need it. You are being short-sighted.
“But do not worry…$300 billion you know what that’s for? For Donald Trump to play golf. $300 million to reimburse local law enforcement for presidential protection related to activities by the President. $300 million. Donald Trump has played golf 24 out of his first 99 days. That is a quarter of the days he’s been in office.
“So you are funding a bill that does not give any money for natural disasters, that does not repay towns, cities, states for the tremendous amount of money that they have paid out for our immigration system to operate. No. And that’s red districts too. But we are going to make sure Donald Trump can play golf, because that’s where our $300 million of FEMA money should go to.”
