Trump's firing of FEMA director unsettles GOP senators

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Source: The Hill

05/16/25 6:00 AM ET


Senate Republicans are unsettled by the Trump administration’s decision to fire Cameron Hamilton, the acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), for speaking out against Trump’s plan to shutter the agency. Hamilton testified to lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee earlier this month that closing FEMA would not be in the best interest of the American people. The next day, he was escorted out of FEMA’s headquarters after losing his job.

The swift retaliation against an administration official over testimony before a congressional panel is jarring to Republican lawmakers, who worry it could chill the willingness of officials to answer questions candidly at future hearings. And the move signals that the president is serious about eliminating FEMA, something that many Republican senators strongly oppose.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), whose home state was hit hard by Hurricane Helene in September, said it was a mistake to fire Hamilton over his testimony. “I think so,” he said. “I think he was giving his honest opinion and in some respects he had an obligation to do that because he was under oath.”

Tillis said Hamilton made “the right decision” by giving lawmakers his candid opinion when asked about the elimination of the high-profile agency. “I think Cam was a good, solid director and I regret that he got terminated,” he said. Tillis says he’s open to making reforms at FEMA, but he argued simply eliminating the agency would hamstring future efforts to respond to hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters. Helene caused nearly $60 billion in damage in North Carolina.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5302942-senate-republicans-criticize-fema-firing/