Ranking Member Underwood Remarks at Federal Emergency Management Agency Oversight Hearing

WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the subcommittee's oversight hearing on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing to conduct oversight and discuss the fiscal year 2026 budget priorities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

I’d also like to welcome Mr. Hamilton, the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the FEMA Administrator, to his first hearing before our subcommittee. Thank you for meeting with me yesterday ahead of today’s hearing. 

First and foremost, I’d like to thank the dedicated FEMA workforce as well as emergency managers across the country who help our communities and constituents before, during, and after disasters. 

Last year, there was a major disaster declaration every four days, affecting over forty percent of Americans. The data is clear: disasters and extreme weather are getting worse and will continue to do so, driven by climate change. From Hurricanes Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene, and Milton in the 2024 season, to the 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires in Los Angeles that my colleagues and I visited in January – disasters are getting bigger, more frequent, and more expensive. 

But the bare-bones budget for fiscal year 2026 released last week proposes a $646 million cut from fiscal year 2025 levels to FEMA’s initiatives that support state and local governments. I’m concerned this would cut critical grant programs that firefighters, first responders, and hospitals in rural communities like mine rely on. I’m also concerned this would cut resources for houses of worship and faith-based organizations, including Nonprofit Security Grants and the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium. Your budget suggests that it provides duplicative efforts of existing federal and state programs without evidence.

Similarly, your termination of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program in early April rips away desperately needed and lifesaving resources that communities need to protect themselves from future disasters. This short-sighted approach would raise recovery costs for taxpayers and local communities while leaving our constituents less protected.

On the topic of disaster recovery costs, the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) is on the brink of depletion and is expected to run a deficit of about $9 billion in fiscal year 2025. That’s before assuming any costs associated with future disasters that may occur this year. Hurricane season begins in 25 days. The growing demand on the DRF creates uncertainty and reliance on implementing “immediate needs funding” measures to remain solvent – ultimately limiting when and how the public receives help from FEMA.

More broadly, we have bipartisan concerns after the comments from Secretary Noem and President Trump regarding the future handling of FEMA as an agency. Without a budget request with enough detail to review, public reporting and statements by the Trump Administration are our main window into what may be on the horizon for the Department. 

And when it comes to FEMA, Secretary Noem said that she wants to eliminate it, and President Trump said that it could “go away.” Let me be clear: eliminating FEMA would cause catastrophic and needless suffering to the American public.

State emergency management leaders have gone on the record since those comments. They are not equipped to handle the roles FEMA currently plays: marshaling emergency resources from multiple federal agencies; providing flood insurance, conducting damage assessments, and distributing billions of dollars in recovery funds. Pushing disaster response and recovery fully back to the States is dangerous and unrealistic.          

I hope to hear today about your plans to improve the agency with fiscal 2025 dollars, as well as what your highest priorities are for fiscal year 2026 and the funding needed to realize those priorities. 

Thank you, Mr. Hamilton, for being here today and I look forward to your testimony and answers to our questions. 

Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

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