A meeting meant to launch FEMA reforms is abruptly canceled

A meeting by a council appointed by President Donald Trump that was meant to announce recommended reforms to the Federal Emergency Management Agency was abruptly canceled Thursday, according to a person familiar with the matter and a separate White House official, prolonging months of anticipation over how the administration will overhaul the federal response to climate disasters.

The FEMA Review Council, which has been meeting for months to evaluate possible agency reforms and was set to make its final report public at the meeting, was scheduled to gather Thursday afternoon. Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem, the council’s co-chair, left a congressional hearing early because she said she needed to attend it.

The meeting was canceled because White House officials had not been fully briefed on the latest draft of the report, according to a White House official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The other person familiar with the change, who spoke on condition of anonymity for the same reason, said the meeting had been canceled but did not disclose why.

A council administrator notified people who had signed up to watch the meeting that it was postponed two hours after its planned start time. The administrator said a new date would be announced “as soon as possible.”

An initial draft of the much-anticipated report was slashed by Noem’s office from over 160 pages to around 20, people familiar with the developments told The Associated Press in November, leading some council members to worry that some recommendations would be removed while others not endorsed by the council could be added.

Trump created the FEMA Review Council by executive order in late January, the same day he proposed eliminating FEMA after touring destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. He has threatened to dismantle the agency and has repeatedly said he wants to push more responsibility for disaster preparedness, response and recovery to the states.

Council members were to present and vote on a recommendations report at the Thursday meeting. The public was invited to attend virtually and would have until Dec. 31 to submit comment on the report.

Former officials and experts told the AP they were impressed by the level of care taken by the council to solicit input from experts and community members and craft meaningful reforms, but the changes made by Noem’s office made the process more contentious as it neared its end.

The council is co-chaired by Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Its 12 members include emergency managers and elected officials almost exclusively from Republican-led states, including the emergency management directors of Texas and Florida, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant.

If he embraces the reforms, Trump has the authority to implement some changes himself, while others would require an act of Congress.