WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 (Reuters) – As the peak of the hurricane season approaches, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency has extended its job freeze until at least the end of this year, according to three sources familiar with the issue.
The Trump administration froze government-wide hiring until October 15th with the exception of public safety employees and several other categories. According to sources, FEMA is expanding its freeze.
A FEMA spokesperson said in a statement that the Department of Homeland Security is “working to ensure that FEMA delivers to the American people.” The spokesman did not answer questions about the employment freeze. The agency is supervised by the Department of Homeland Security.
News about the freeze reduced agents the same week that three dozen former and current FEMA employees signed an open letter of objection to agency leaders. The letter, sent by a mix of former political appointees and permanent staff, said the lack of experience among top Trump administration appointees could lead to catastrophes at the level of Hurricane Katrina.
This week marks the 20th anniversary of the storm that has devastated Gulf towns.
The Trump administration has named staff in letters on vacation.
Trump said in June that he plans to phase out FEMA after the 2025 hurricane season. The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is September 10th.
The end of FEMA means a major change for millions of Americans who rely on agencies after hurricanes, wildfires, floods, tornadoes and other natural disasters each year. FEMA sends billions of dollars to the state each year to evacuate those who have lost their homes, distributed food and rebuilt damaged buildings.
Since President Donald Trump took office, several senior officials have left the agency and raised concerns about whether FEMA will be equipped to deal with major disasters. In May, then-manager of FEMA Cameron Hamilton was suddenly fired and replaced by David Richardson, a DHS employee with no experience in managing natural disaster responses. In an early meeting with staff, Richardson vowed to “run” employees who resisted reform.
(Reporting by Courtney Rosen of Washington and Nathan Lane of Wilton, Connectic Formation by Chris Sanders and Matthew Lewis)
