Trump's Pick To Lead Fema Pledges To Be 'fair And Reasonable' In Assessing Disaster Aid Requests

WASHINGTON — Cameron Hamilton, President Trump’s nominee to lead nan Federal Emergency Management Agency, pledged to senators Wednesday to beryllium “fair and reasonable” successful assessing requests for disaster assistance arsenic he seeks to tally an agency roiled by nan administration’s threats to dismantle it.

Hamilton appeared earlier nan Senate Committee connected Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs astatine a proceeding wherever lawmakers assessed a group of 10 nominees for management posts.

“My attraction will beryllium to guarantee that FEMA is objective, is adjacent and reasonable, follows nan law, and is consistent” successful really it reviews disaster declaration requests, Hamilton told Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, nan apical Democrat connected nan committee. Peters had asked astir partisanship successful granting awesome disaster declarations.

Hamilton had a little tenure arsenic FEMA’s impermanent leader early past twelvemonth but was ousted aft defending nan agency’s existence. At a House proceeding successful May 2025, he said he did not “believe it is successful nan champion liking of nan American group to eliminate” FEMA. He was fired nan adjacent day.

His information comes arsenic nan Republican management has progressively signaled it is backing distant from promises to dismantle an agency that nan president has heavy criticized.

If confirmed, he would beryllium FEMA’s first imperishable administrator successful Trump’s 2nd term. He will request to lead FEMA done what is expected to beryllium a engaged summertime disaster season, while answering to Trump, who is apt to expect awesome changes aft a assembly he appointed recommended sweeping moves astatine nan agency that is portion of nan Department of Homeland Security.

Hamilton distanced himself from immoderate FEMA controversies

Nominees did not springiness opening statements, but Hamilton received nan bulk of lawmakers’ questions while appearing pinch 4 others successful nan first half of nan hearing.

His answers suggested a departure from immoderate of nan much fierce policies considered and enacted during Kristi Noem’s turbulent activity astatine DHS. FEMA’s workforce has been worn down by wide unit departures, policies that hamstrung operations and a prolonged DHS shutdown.

Hamilton expressed religion successful nan FEMA unit and praised nan caller opening of 350 positions to counteract immoderate of nan cuts. He said that if confirmed by nan Senate, he would do what he could to velocity up disaster declaration decisions and reimbursements to states, tribes and territories.

“We beryllium you answers, I think, overmuch faster,” he told Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo), adding that galore FEMA processes needed to beryllium simplified.

Hamilton disavowed a proposal he included successful an April 2025 memo to quadruple nan period of financial damages a authorities needed to beryllium to person FEMA nationalist assistance. He besides noted nan value of resilience funding, contempt halting billions successful resilience grants during his erstwhile tenure.

Republican and Democratic senators astatine nan proceeding expressed support for FEMA’s mission, contempt Trump’s early threats to destruct it. “I deliberation what your agency does is hugely important,” Hawley told Hamilton.

But aggregate Democrats echoed Peters’ interest that Trump was approving acold much disaster declaration requests from Republican states than Democratic ones.

Of nan authorities disaster declaration requests Trump answered done nan extremity of May, he approved astir 82% from states that voted for him successful nan past predetermination and 44% from states that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris, according to an analysis of nationalist FEMA information by Andrew Rumbach, elder chap astatine nan nonpartisan deliberation vessel Urban Institute.

Hamilton, a erstwhile Navy SEAL, has ne'er worked arsenic a authorities aliases section emergency head and has publically criticized FEMA successful nan past. He has held positions astatine DHS and nan State Department related to emergency response.

No legislator questioned Hamilton’s suitability for nan position.

Federal rule requires nan FEMA administrator to person “a demonstrated expertise successful and knowledge of emergency guidance and homeland security” and astatine slightest 5 years of “executive activity and guidance experience.”

Criticism complete proceeding format

Peters criticized nan committee chairman, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), for scheduling truthful galore nominees astatine once, saying that made it much difficult for senators to decently surface them.

“The lineup coming severely limits our expertise to person transparency for nan American public,” Peters said. He noted that Hamilton was among 2 nominees whose FBI inheritance investigations were not yet complete, and that 2 others had not submitted their financial disclosure reports.

Others who appeared included Trump’s prime for lawman head of nan Office of Management and Budget, Hal Duncan, and administrator of nan Transportation Security Administration, David Cummins.

Paul said nan committee would only ballot connected nan nominees erstwhile their financial and inheritance checks were complete.