Rep. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina has unveiled the recommendations he delivered to the White House to fix the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It specifically argues against abolishing the agency quickly, which administration officials have said they want to do.
“Western North Carolina cannot afford for recovery to be interrupted by total terminations of critical recovery programs,” the task force’s report says. “The requests made in this report take a meticulous approach to increasing the functionality of disaster response programs, while reducing the size of the federal disaster footprint, without inhibiting recovery.”
The report lays out specific policy proposals to simplify and “pare down” the federal government’s role in disaster relief including creating a universal federal-assistance application between agencies, improving technology at FEMA and reforming grant programs the administration has already terminated.
Edwards said President Donald Trump commissioned the North Carolina-focused task force in January while aboard Air Force One. It includes Republican members of the state’s congressional delegation and the Republican National Committee’s chair, Michael Whatley. It has been working separately from the review council Trump called for via executive order in January, which currently only lists Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as members.
The North Carolina task force’s recommendations, and their key differences from the actions the Department of Homeland Security has already taken regarding FEMA, show how congressional oversight of the agency has been operating on a different track than the administration.
DHS has already cut FEMA employees, removed funding allocations and ended major grant programs provided by the agency. Noem said she intends to “eliminate” the agency, reportedly directing its core functions be dismantled by the fall.
Edwards’ task force explicitly argued against such a move.
“As the Administration reviews opportunities to reform FEMA and make the agency more efficient, please consider the suggestions included, and employ a similar, cautious approach that preserves access to federal resources for Hurricane Helene recovery,” the report says.
Some of the North Carolina task force’s suggestions directly contradict the administration’s actions.
While the Trump administration has moved to end the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program — the major FEMA-run grant program that has provided billions to local projects aimed at reducing the risk to life and property in the event of natural disasters — Edwards’ FEMA task force suggests simply updating it to apply more focus to less wealthy areas of the country.
"[The grant process] favors wealthy, coastal cities that can afford grant writers and consultants who are familiar with FEMA procedures, and disadvantages less wealthy inland communities, such as the mountains of Western North Carolina, who are forced to compete with coastal elites but lack adequate resources to be a true contender for federal BRIC awards,” the report says.
Another proposal suggests Trump direct FEMA via executive order to submit a detailed breakdown to the White House of all of its pre- and post-disaster programs and process timelines with suggestions for either speeding up implementation or cutting unnecessary ones. Another suggests FEMA take steps to enhance its technological capabilities and update its current IT systems, beginning with a comprehensive review of its platforms and contractors.
None suggest getting rid of FEMA altogether.
Edwards instead called for the creation of a universal application for disaster assistance across FEMA, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This isn’t the first time North Carolina Republicans’ requests have been disregarded by the Trump administration.
FEMA on Friday denied a request by North Carolina’s governor and the entire North Carolina congressional delegation to extend for 180 days the federal government’s 100% cost share for debris removal and emergency protective measures in the state after Hurricane Helene. The administration determined that “the increased level of funding is not warranted,” according to a letter by FEMA’s acting administrator, Cameron Hamilton.
Edwards, who signed on to the delegation’s request for the extension, did not push back on the administration’s decision.
“A 100% cost share extension for 180 days is unprecedented,” Edwards told reporters on Friday. “Instead, I’m focusing on other ways I can make a tangible difference in helping the citizens of western North Carolina recover more quickly. This includes continuing to assist survivors with FEMA casework and working with the administration to find additional avenues to alleviate the financial stress our communities and the state of North Carolina are facing.”
The scope of the damage in North Carolina alone is calculated to be about $59.6 billion, the report says. A majority of the task force’s report focuses on ways to increase federal cost sharing and easing the burden on western North Carolina residents.
Edwards wants Trump to urge Congress to pass a bill that would allow reimbursement of private road and bridge repairs. He also says he wants the swift disbursement of money Congress appropriated for North Carolina in the American Relief Act for “community-development block-grant disaster recovery” funds.
Edwards’ new report also recommends the Federal Highway Administration increase its cost share to 100% for all of the major transportation corridors damaged by Helene, including I-40 and other highways. The task force estimated that doing so would cost the federal government about $262 million.
In a brief list of additional requests, the task force insisted that FEMA increase both the frequency of and transparency in communications with disaster survivors who apply for federal assistance.
Edwards told NOTUS last week that the White House requested more time to review the task force’s suggestions. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on whether it would be acting on the report’s recommendations.
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Calen Razor is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.