SENATOR PETER WELCH: I’m a Democrat and we need to fix FEMA with local control
FOX NewsJUL 15
FEMA Search Chief Resigns Over Texas Flood Response Delays
Above: The FEMA headquarters building in Washington, DC. Image copyright: J. David Ake/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The Trump administration is implementing necessary fiscal oversight to protect taxpayer dollars from wasteful spending. FEMA has become too bloated and bureaucratic, requiring reform to push more disaster response responsibility down to states that know their communities best. The delays in Texas were minimal, and other federal resources like Coast Guard and Border Patrol were deployed immediately.
Establishment-critical narrative
These bureaucratic hurdles are undermining FEMA's core mission when lives are at stake during disasters. The resignation of experienced officials like Pagurek represents a significant loss of institutional knowledge at a time when climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of disasters. The 72-hour delay in deploying search and rescue teams to Texas highlights the potentially deadly consequences of these policies.