Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Cameron Hamilton and top officials have proposed restructuring the agency by reducing Washington centralization, shifting power to state and regional authorities, and sunsetting or realigning several internal offices. The proposals align with broader Trump administration efforts to reduce federal cost-sharing and increase disaster thresholds, occurring amid significant personnel losses that saw over 6,800 staff leave FEMA across fiscal 2025 and 2026.
FEMA Administrator Hamilton proposes agency decentralization
- ▪Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Cameron Hamilton issued a memo stating that the agency must reduce unnecessary centralization in Washington, D.C. and strengthen state, regional, field, and front-line leadership.
- ▪Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Cameron Hamilton's memo stated that regional and field teams, alongside state and local officials, are well positioned to make timely operational decisions within established authorities.
- ▪Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Cameron Hamilton outlined strategic directions including reducing federal government dependency, delivering America First resilience, returning power to the American people, and strengthening national security.
Internal memo recommends sunsetting and realigning FEMA offices
- ▪An October 6, 2026 internal memo from top FEMA officials suggested sunsetting the Office of Business Management, the Office of Resilience Strategy and Resilience Analysis, and the Planning and Information Directorate.
- ▪An October 6, 2026 Federal Emergency Management Agency memo suggested consolidating National Flood Insurance Program functions and deciding whether to realign staff from the Building Resilient Infrastructure Communities branch.
- ▪An October 6, 2026 internal memo recommended realigning all employees from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Office of National Continuity programs to help integrate national security into the agency.
- ▪An October 6, 2026 memo proposed realigning employees from Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs to support a new mitigation grants division at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
- ▪In an October 6, 2026 memo to Administrator Cameron Hamilton, Federal Emergency Management Agency Associate Administrators Jonathon Myers and David Arnold, alongside Chief Financial Officer Paul Judson, suggested sunsetting and realigning certain agency offices.
Trump administration pushes to reduce federal disaster role
- ▪Donald Trump's administration has indicated that states should increase disaster preparation and response responsibility, while the federal government reduces its financial share.
- ▪In 2025, the Trump administration attempted to shut down the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Building Resilient Infrastructure Communities program, which funds local extreme weather infrastructure, but was blocked by a court.
- ▪Donald Trump's administration announced recommendations to review Federal Emergency Management Agency staffing, shift responsibility to state, local, and tribal authorities, privatize flood insurance, and raise major disaster declaration thresholds.
Debate over agency elimination
- ▪President Donald Trump and then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem previously suggested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency be eliminated.
- ▪Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated during his Senate confirmation process that FEMA should be restructured rather than eliminated.
Declining agency staffing
- ▪According to an August 2026 Government Accountability Office report, Federal Emergency Management Agency departures in fiscal 2025 were more than double the departure rate in fiscal 2024.
- ▪An August 2026 Government Accountability Office report found more than 4,300 personnel left the Federal Emergency Management Agency in fiscal 2025, plus an additional 2,500 during fiscal 2026 as of May 2026.
Story comments
Loading comments…