FEMA Employees Suspended After Warning of Weakened Disaster Preparedness

Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, experts say that ignoring disaster warnings puts lives at risk – yet the administration is silencing those who speak out.  

WASHINGTON — This week, the Trump administration suspended around 30 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees after they signed a letter of dissent called the “Katrina Declaration.” Published just days before the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history — the letter was signed by nearly 200 FEMA employees, with around 35 signing it with their names and the rest signing anonymously for fear of retaliation.  

The letter warned that Trump Administration policies – including shifting FEMA staff to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and cuts to disaster mitigation programs – are weakening  the nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to climate-driven disasters.  Instead of addressing those concerns, the administration punished employees who dared to raise the alarm. This is not the first time Trump has retaliated against federal employees for publicly criticizing his agenda. Last month, Trump put nearly 140 Environmental Protection Agency staffers on leave for signing a letter of dissent. 

In response, Antonieta Cádiz, Executive Director for Climate Power En Acción, issued the following statement:

“Donald Trump has once again shown he uses the power of the presidency not to lead, but to silence. Instead of welcoming accountability, listening to experts, and being willing to correct course when lives are at stake, the Trump administration is punishing these FEMA employees for speaking out at the very moment their expertise is most needed to keep families safe.

Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina claimed more than 1,800 lives and caused $200 billion in damages, the lessons should be clear: ignoring experts and punishing truth-tellers puts lives at risk. These FEMA employees spoke out to prevent another tragedy, and they should be protected — not punished — for their courage.”

Trump’s cuts to disaster response are putting Americans in danger: 

• Trump has gutted disaster relief, cutting roughly 20% of the staff responsible for preventing and responding to disasters. 
• According to an internal agency review, FEMA was “not ready” ahead of hurricane season and was months behind schedule in its preparations. Trump’s FEMA head scrapped the agency’s hurricane plan at the last minute to revert to last year’s plan. 
• Trump cut disaster-response training for local and state emergency managers and eliminated door-to-door canvassing in disaster areas by federal relief workers. 
• Trump gutted federal aid for communities to prepare for disasters and wants to make it harder for communities to receive federal disaster aid.