Texas, Trump and FEMA
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2don MSN
Just weeks ago, President Donald Trump said he wanted to begin “phasing out” the Federal Emergency Management Agency after this hurricane season to “wean off of FEMA” and “bring it down to the state level.
The governor was quick to request federal assistance last week after devastating floods hit the Texas Hill Country.
Q: Is it true that if President Donald Trump hadn’t defunded the National Weather Service, the death toll in the Texas flooding would have been far lower or nonexistent? A: The Trump administration did not defund the NWS but did reduce the staff by 600 people.
Some governors and mayors are concerned over how current or potential cuts to agencies will impact how the government can respond in the future to major weather events.
The White House also says he’ll visit the state emergency operations centre to meet with first responders and relatives of flood victims. Trump will also get a briefing from officials. Republican governor Greg Abbott,
President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency chief has thrown his weight behind right-wing conspiracy theories that have spread online in the wake of the Texas floods.
House Democrats are calling for an immediate hearing on disaster preparations after catastrophic flooding in Texas, citing concerns about FEMA's readiness and the Trump administration's weakening of the Federal government's capacity to respond to disasters.