Critics of President Donald Trump's mass layoffs of federal workers — including some Never Trump conservatives like MSNBC's Joe Scarborough and former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele — are arguing that Trump is making government less efficient, not more, by firing so many people who brought considerable expertise to the table.
The Trump Administration, with the help of the Department of Government Efficiency, targeted a variety of agencies for mass layoffs — from the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). And Trump toyed with eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) altogether.
But according to The Washington Post and The Guardian, Trump is reportedly reconsidering abolishing FEMA following the deadly flash floods that hit areas of Central Texas over the 4th of July Weekend and killed at least 119 people.
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The Post's Natalie Allison reports, "For months, President Donald Trump and his homeland security secretary have said the Federal Emergency Management Agency could be eliminated. But as the president heads to Texas to view the impact of last week's deadly floods, administration officials say abolishing the agency outright is not on the agenda."
A senior Trump White House official, quoted anonymously, told the Post, "Without any official action, you're already seeing the theory….. (of the Trump Administration's new approach) taking place in Texas…. The president immediately delivered the dollars, Texas already has that money in their hands, and Gov. (Greg) Abbott is the lead decision-maker when it comes to the Texas floods. You should expect this structure, that has quietly taken place, to continue."
Following the disaster in Central Texas, Trump is drawing criticism not only for toying with abolishing FEMA, but also, for major layoffs at the National Weather Service (NWS).
According to Allison, "Not everyone agrees that the process in Texas has unfolded smoothly. Current and former FEMA employees say the agency's ability to fully respond to the flooding has been delayed by restrictions the (Trump) Administration has imposed on government spending and contracts. Deployments of specialized search and rescue teams were significantly delayed in the days immediately after the flood, those officials said."
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Read the full Washington Post report at this link (subscription required) and The Guardian's reporting here.