US disaster agency suspends workers who criticised Trump cuts, reports say
Biden's FEMA suspends staff who spoke out against Trump's budget cuts
Biden's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has defended its decision to suspend or fire several longtime employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), multiple outlets have reported. The DHS told lawmakers in a letter that the employees were fired for "unacceptable performance," but they had previously spoken out against Trump's budget cuts to the agency, sparking criticism that they were retaliated against for their activism. Democratic lawmakers have accused the DHS of attempting to silence FEMA employees who were advocating for disaster relief. During Trump's tenure, the Republican-controlled Congress slashed funding for FEMA and other disaster relief programmes, which critics say has hampered the agency's ability to respond to natural disasters exacerbated by climate change. The DHS's inspector general has opened an investigation into the firings. FEMA, which declined to comment on the investigation, has a critical role in providing emergency assistance and disaster relief to help people and communities recover from natural disasters or catastrophic events.
FEMA's ability to respond to natural disasters
The agency's efforts to respond to disasters are being hamstrung by political infighting and a lack of resources, experts say. "We have a lot of members who are extremely concerned about the ability of the agency to conduct a proper and full response to the disasters," said a spokesperson for the union representing FEMA employees. "It is a disaster waiting to happen. It's only a matter of time before somebody pays the price for this." congressional Democrats have increased pressure on the Biden administration to address the firings and respond to concerns about FEMA's ability to handle disaster relief. They are "extremely concerned" that the agency's ability to carry out its mission has been compromised. The agency has already been criticised for its sluggish response to aid survivors of Hurricane Laura in 2020 and for its inadequate response to relief efforts in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in 2017.
