FEMA's acting chief says agency will shift more disaster recovery responsibilities to the states

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FEMA's acting chief says agency will shift more disaster recovery responsibilities to the states

2025-05-16 07:22 Last Updated At：07:50

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's acting chief plans to shift responsibility for disaster recovery to states during the upcoming hurricane season, he said during a staff town hall on Thursday.

David Richardson said his intention was to “return primacy to the states” as part of an agencywide transformation.

In comments that cemented the Trump administration's intent to bring about a major shift in the agency's mission, Richardson said FEMA's intent for the 2025 “disaster season” will be to strengthen states' abilities for response and recovery while coordinating federal assistance “when deemed necessary.”

The comments dovetail with a broad-based effort by the Trump administration to overhaul and downsize the federal government. They come just 17 days before the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, which scientists predict will see an above-average 17 named storms and four major hurricanes. Richardson said FEMA was “to some degree, to a great degree, ready for disaster season ’25,” and that he would be submitting a plan for the season to Noem by next Friday.

The agency is in a period of upheaval as the Trump administration weighs its future. President Donald Trump has floated “getting rid of” FEMA altogether, an idea Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has echoed. Richardson replaced former acting chief Cameron Hamilton last week, one day after Hamilton told a congressional committee that he did not think FEMA should be eliminated.

While Richardson downplayed the likelihood that FEMA would disappear altogether, he said his role was to realize Trump's vision of how disasters are managed, which he said means pushing a “large part” of response and recovery to the states.

Some states, including Florida and Texas, are already adequately prepared for disasters, according to the acting chief. Others should prepare to shoulder more of the financial burden, he said, warning that the typical federal 75% cost share for things like repairing public infrastructure could change as soon as this summer.

“There should be some budgeting things that they have,” said Richardson. “I bet (Texas) Governor Abbott has a rainy-day fund for fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and he doesn't spend it on something else.”

FEMA assistance is made available to states when a governor requests and the president approves a major disaster declaration. Those decisions are typically based on whether the event's impact exceeds the state's capacity to respond.

Trump has already signaled a departure from typical decision-making around disaster declarations. He has denied requests from Washington and West Virginia. Just this week, he approved a major disaster declaration for storms that struck Arkansas in March after initially denying the request.

The shift comes as the number of climate disasters in the United States grows: There were 90 major disaster declarations in 2024, and 27 climate-related events that caused more than $1 billion in damages.

While states typically lead disaster response, they rely on federal resources as needed, said Jeremy Edwards, FEMA deputy director of public affairs during the Biden Administration, and not every state will be able to take on more of that responsibility.

“It’s unclear what they mean when they say returning primacy to the states,” he said. “What does that mean when certain states don’t have the resources in their own budgets to respond to and recover from catastrophic events?”

Regarding long-term restructuring, Richardson said FEMA will begin a “mission analysis” to ensure its activities are strictly limited to what it is legally mandated to do.

“We will not do anything that is not in the statute,” he said. “If we are, we are wasting the American people’s money.”

Trump has also established a 13-member FEMA review council, chaired by Secretary Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to recommend changes to the agency.

When asked if the reforms would result in further staff reductions, Richardson said it was possible as more of the agency's functions transfer to states. About 2,000 full-time staff have left the agency since President Donald Trump took office in January, a loss of roughly one-third of the agency’s full-time workforce.

He also said that while no programs were specific “targets” for elimination, much depended on the results of the analysis.

“If you're outside of the statutory, you'll become a target, period,” he said.

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Anguueira reported from San Diego.

Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.