Trump signs order to shift disaster preparations from FEMA to states, local governments

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order that seeks to shift responsibility for disaster preparations to state and local governments, deepening his drive to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The order, first previewed by the White House on March 10, calls for a review of all infrastructure, continuity, and preparedness and response policies to update and simplify federal approaches.

It said "common sense" investments by state and local governments to address risks ranging from wildfires to hurricanes and cyber attacks would enhance national security, but did not detail what they were or how they would be funded.

"Preparedness is most effectively owned and managed at the state, local, and even individual levels, supported by a competent, accessible, and efficient federal government," the order said. "When states are empowered to make smart infrastructure choices, taxpayers benefit."

-snip-

By Andrea Shalal
March 18, 2025 10:03 PM EDT Updated 8 hours ago

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-signs-order-shift-disaster-preparations-fema-states-local-governments-2025-03-19/

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Alternate link: https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-signs-order-shift-disaster-004554167.html

[Xipe Totec]

1. YOYO Government - You're On Your Own. nt

[EarthFirst]

2. So when disparities among blue/red state disaster preparedness funding emerges...

…then what?

[atreides1]

3. Well

Remember, it was those same Red states that voted to hurt their fellow Americans, and now they're going to be fucked, hard!!!

While I feel for those who didn't vote for this car wreck, I have nothing for the ones who did!

[Rebl2]

18. There were

tornadoes in my state of MO last weekend and our republican governor said he planned on contacting the federal government for help. I thought to myself, good luck with that governor because you likely won’t get help.

[DENVERPOPS]

29. No kidding

the incredible number of Red States are yet to realize what is coming......The TrumpHumping voters are soon to realize that they have done their job by voting Trump in again, and will be kicked in the gutter, and under the bus, as they have guaranteed that they are no longer needed. Without Federal help, they are screwed more than us when it comes to FEMA, etc. They already take far more from the Feds than they contribute.......

[azureblue]

37. unintended consquences

Blue states have been supporting failed red states for decades. This will force red states to clean up their finances. AND, the people in those states that vote for Repubs will FINALLY get to see the results of their votes. Leopards, faces, etc. When there is no relief money, the people will blame their governor who will be forced to blame Trump.

[mitch96]

23. That's what I was thinking.. Rich states now no longer have to pay to rebuild/aid poorer states??

That's gonna go over like a lead balloon.
m

[Scrivener7]

31. Then maybe they'll vote differently.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

4. Is it time for the collective to escrow their federal taxes yet?

Asking for the thousands of blue states who will need
help after natural disasters.

[Falconry]

22. What are we even paying federal taxes for?

If everything is becoming the responsibility of the tates, I would assume that means the states now get to keep all the taxes normally paid to the Feds, no?
Just asking for a friend.

[Tree Lady]

39. Trumps salary and golf trips

and a few other things....

[lonely bird]

5. It's common sense?

First, there is no such thing.

Second, if there was Trump wouldn’t have any.

Third, states with no income tax? Expect a VAT and increased state sales tax and fees for every damn thing.

And it still won’t be enough.

When the next massive hurricane hits the gulf of MEXICO the insurance companies will pull out of almost the entirety of the former Confederacy.

Storm. The. Headquarters.

[FakeNoose]

17. Florida is one of the states with no income tax, am I right?

And yet Florida has been having one disaster after another ... mainly related to hurricanes. But they've also got the problems with sinkholes, disappearing groundwater, and buildings collapsing. I don't have any numbers handy but I'm willing to bet that Florida gets more FEMA funds in one year than Pennsylvania or New York see in 5 or 10 years.

Also the California brush fires were hugely expensive because so many homes and high-priced buildings were destroyed. As wealthy as California is, there's no state that can cover costs like that on short notice. No state can "budget" for disasters until they've already happened.

[DENVERPOPS]

33. The Uber Rich Republicans and Oligarchs

have long wanted a VAT tax and to have the U.S. do away with the IRS...........

You are correct that the VAT tax is next, except a NATIONAL VAT tax.

They want it first of all to ABOLISH the IRS.
Secondly it is an extremely regressive tax with most of it coming from the middle and lower classes.......
AND, most important, ALL of their MAJOR costs for tax accountants and lawyers they were forced to employ go bye-bye, a massive savings for them.............

Many civilized European nations have the VAT tax, but use the money to fund free Medical and Free Education thru College, as well as many other taxpayer benefits...... rest assured when they institute the VAT tax here, we will receive absolutely none of those benefits.

[lark]

6. Fucking idiot, doesn't he realize he ives on the FL coast?

This will kill states that border the Gulf of Mexico and the southern states that border the Atlantic. FL gets a double dose with both coasts exposed to these harms. Now there will be no tracking, WTF?? I've said it a million times and believe it with all my heart - he's actively trying to kill off the working/poor classes so the rich can steal our SS $ - which is substantial en masse.

[Tanuki]

7. What if the major disaster so severely devastates the locality

that it wipes out their emergency processing center and other resources? This is incredibly short-sighted and nonsensical.

[cstanleytech]

8. What happens if the entire State is devastated like say Florida with a major hurricane?

I guess Trump can pray for a divine miracle then to receive aid promptly.

[Topomi]

20. Thoughts and prayers

Trump policy

[sinkingfeeling]

9. If there's no need for a federal, all states agency, then why should states continue to obey TSF and his band of merry

men?

[Ol Janx Spirit]

10. Because 50 smaller far less-connected bureaucracies are way more efficient than one.... /s

But this will not save the government any money. Even red states will demand they get their funding dollars that will now just have little or no oversight. Some will raid those funds to pay for other shortfalls and just demand more from Washington knowing that it looks really bad to deny aid to people that just went through a natural disaster. What the "government efficiency" folks seem to forget is that many of these federal agencies were partially established to make sure that federal dollars were not wasted or repurposed by the states in the specific areas they oversee. These shortsighted new policies are actually the opposite of an efficient way to distribute tax dollars IMO.

[Blue Dotty]

11. So tariffs and budget cuts just go in his pocket

Because with all the federal agency cuts and services discontinued, our state tax rates will go up to provide for services the feds used to. This was just a way to eliminate any type of regulations, to bail out muskrat, and his other oligarch billionaires.

[newdeal2]

12. By that logic, why have a military?

Let each state provide its own defense.

[bluestarone]

13. Yep, here we go. Sad part is

It will be the Democrats that file a lawsuit to save the fucking rethuglicons that live in the southern states. ALWAYS a Democrat has to do the saving.

[bromeando]

14. FEMA

This is why I didn't renew flood insurance. I'll bank the money.

[bluedigger]

15. I thought jury duty was onerous.

I can't wait until the county calls me out for mandatory forest raking details.

[Paladin]

16. One big hurricane in Texas or Florida will fuck this shit up, big-time.

Not a matter of "whether," just "when."

[Bayard]

19. He probably only sees this as punching Calif.

Doesn't matter how many MAGAts it hurts. Revenge is the word.

[Martin68]

21. Oh the states, red states included, are going to love that! Unbudgeted fiscal obligations very time a hurricane,

tornado, or flood occurs. Congress funded FEMA. Who's going to help states pay for disaster recovery?

[Vinca]

24. AKA as the "make state taxes increase to obscene levels law."

[Mysterian]

25. This will hurt the leeching red bumpkin states

more than the wealthy blue states. Good move, god-emperor trump!

[Bluestocking]

26. Sucks to live in a red State.

Haha

[DENVERPOPS]

35. Yes

I was gonna say, notice how Mother Nature is mostly focusing on the ton of Red States for her Natural Disasters......
She is really getting super pissed at those that are causing damage to HER planet earth, and seeking revenge......

[C_U_L8R]

27. But he'll keep the money

While the middle class keeps paying taxes and billionaires get cuts. What a shithead.

[BoRaGard]

28. GOP's way of dodging responsibility the climate chaos they have caused

[MiHale]

30. Ok, hurricanes you heard the ass...

Time to wipe out Mar-A-Lago…scour it off the face of the earth, let Florida pay for it.

Surgical hit, please.

[DENVERPOPS]

34. Then Trump

will rebuild Mar-a-Lago with just a tiny portion of money he has grifted these past 8+ years. Something akin to the Taj Mahal............
Or use the entire budget of FEMA, just for him, before abandoning FEMA.......

[no_hypocrisy]

32. Homeowners insurance doesn't even cover

damages WITH FEMA.

Hold your breaths MAGAs!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

36. The best part of this is that all those Trumpers

in places like Florida and Texas will be quite pleased with this. Because before FEMA the individual states did such a fabulous job of these things.

[GenThePerservering]

38. Claw backs

we'll keep the money ourselves and no longer provide welfare to failed red states.

[OverBurn]

40. I feel sorry for the red state Dems, but fuck the rest. You voted for this shit.

I live in a red state, Indiana. Maybe not as completely red as Mississippi or some others, but full of a lot of Trump loving red assholes.

[BlueKota]

41. At this stage

I'd rather New York State officials be in charge of any natural disasters that happen here than any of the disastrous officials he appoints, anyway.

[louis-t]

42. What could possibly go wrong?

[sakabatou]

43. States in paths of hurricanes and tornadoes: But we don't have enough money by ourselves!

Felon47: Too bad, so sad. Fuck you.

[mdbl]

44. The states don't have the money

Otherwise there wouldn't be a federal program.

[NickB79]

45. Smart infrastructure choices include factoring in climate change predictions

But now it's verboten to discuss the C-word in Trumpland.

Good luck Red States. You're fucked.