Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Cameron Hamilton has made clear in an internal seven-page memo, dated October 15 and reported by Politico, that the Trump administration still intends to reduce the federal government’s role in responding to natural disasters and other emergencies. FEMA will "strengthen the emergency management capacity of states and municipalities" to lessen dependence on the federal government, Hamilton wrote.
"Reducing federal dependence requires that partners develop, maintain and put into practice the capabilities needed to manage incidents effectively," the memo says. It also says FEMA must reduce unnecessary centralization in Washington, D.C., because regional and field teams are usually closer to disaster victims and state and local officials. Trump set out the aim to limit FEMA’s response in a January 2025 executive order.
In May, the advisory council it created recommended gradually cutting FEMA and putting state and local governments in the lead. The shift will include phasing out FEMA programs, the main source of disaster mitigation funding for the United States and its territories, including Puerto Rico. In a September memo, Hamilton wrote that emergency management has expanded beyond its original purpose and "we must return to the essentials," listing 12 coordination responsibilities.
The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 proposed privatizing the National Flood Insurance Program. Puerto Rico’s Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3) reports $42.694 billion in FEMA funds for Puerto Rico after the 2017 hurricanes, of which $13.777 billion has been disbursed; committed funds total $39.599 billion.