President Trump announced that he will be nominating Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace Secretary Noem as head of DHS. Congress should demand the following sorely needed reforms are enacted – including undoing internal processes that delayed or prevented assistance from reaching disaster survivors over the last year and a half – before considering the DHS Secretary nominee’s confirmation.
These priorities have been reviewed by numerous stakeholders in different parts of the country. They represent day 1 priorities for nominee Mullin to accomplish if we are to ensure that our country’s disaster response and recovery system can continue to assist communities before, during, and after disasters. Committee members are encouraged to use these priorities to question nominee Mullin as he is vetted for the top role at DHS. The requests below are grouped into 8 categories, corresponding to broad requirements for getting the Federal Emergency Management Agency is able to accomplish its role in 2026:
- Ensure FEMA’s Independence
- Stop Politicizing Disasters
- Restore and Protect Staff
- Appoint Expert Leadership
- Remove Arbitrary Barriers
- Ensure Community Preparedness
- Build Transparency into the System
- Foster Collaboration with Other Agencies
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