Chairman Perry Assertion from Listening to Examining FEMA and the Nation’s Emergency Management

Opening remarks, as ready, of Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee Chairman Scott Perry (R-PA) from immediately’s listening to, entitled, “Fixing Emergency Management: Examining Improvements to FEMA’s Disaster Response”:

I wish to thank our witness, Mr. Richardson, for being right here immediately to debate fixing emergency administration and bettering the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) catastrophe response.

Earlier this month, devastating flash floods hit Texas inflicting a demise toll of greater than 130 folks, together with youngsters from a summer season camp.

The Coast Guard, FEMA, and different federal companies assisted Texas within the search, rescue, and response. President Trump issued a significant catastrophe declaration, opening additional federal help for catastrophe victims and to help within the restoration. My condolences and prayers go to the individuals who have misplaced family members, and to all affected by this catastrophe. It is unimaginable to these of us who’ve watched it.

So far in 2025, there have been 20 disasters leading to main catastrophe declarations throughout 10 states. This doesn’t account for emergency declarations and all of the open disasters nonetheless on the books, going all the way in which again to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

I’ve stated this earlier than: I query the growing function of the federal authorities in disasters, however when the federal authorities responds, it helps nobody if help is gradual, bureaucratic, and cumbersome.

States ought to be the lead in making ready for, mitigating towards, and responding to disasters. When the federal authorities does present help, it ought to be quick, agile, and focused in a method that’s handiest.

What I consider we will all agree on is that this – 20 years from now, in 2045, we don’t wish to see congressional hearings asking why disasters that occurred in 2025 are nonetheless open. The longer it takes for communities to rebuild, regardless of who’s paying, the upper the prices and the extra susceptible these communities are to further hurt from different hazards.

Over the years, Congress has handed reform after reform making an attempt to repair FEMA and get federal catastrophe response to work successfully. Quite actually, little appears to work. Congress passes one thing supposed to repair catastrophe response, however bureaucrats proceed to complicate the legislation with added rules. This makes the implementation and course of extra complicated. At instances, it appears the method really will get worse, not higher.

The course of turns into much more unclear if you add within the quite a few federal companies that are actually concerned in disasters. The complete level of FEMA was to hold out the President’s authority in disasters and handle your complete federal authorities response.

However, we appear to have gotten away from that, and we’ve got many companies, typically with conflicting necessities and guidelines concerned, slowing the method much more. 

Today, I hope we will contact on not simply what occurred in Texas and different current disasters, however how we will work collectively successfully to repair our emergency administration system. Our constituents and the American individuals are relying on it; it’s our responsibility. How will we make it work higher for the communities hit by disasters and the taxpayer?

I recognize the management of the Full Committee Chairman, Sam Graves, and Ranking Member Larsen for his or her work in making an attempt to sort out these points with their laws, and we look ahead to seeing that very shortly.

Click right here for extra info from immediately’s listening to, together with video and witness testimony.