2 Florida congressmen seek independence for embattled FEMA to improve it

Anthony Man, South Florida Sun Sentinel on Mar 27, 2025

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U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Jared Moskowitz of Florida have a plan to reform federal emergency management and improve the efficiency of federal emergency response efforts.

They would remove the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a unit of the Department of Homeland Security, and make it an independent agency with Cabinet rank reporting directly to the president.

Their legislation, announced this week, comes as the entire future and role of FEMA is uncertain — with just two months to go until the start of the Atlantic hurricane season.

President Donald Trump has said that responding to emergencies should be much more of a state rather than federal responsibility. “I’d like to see the states take care of disasters,” he said in January. “Let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen.”

FEMA earned the ire of conservatives last year after reports that workers in Florida were directed to bypass homes with Trump signs during the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. The worker accused of delivering that order was fired.

Several national news organizations, including CNN, Politico’s E&E News, and the Washington Post, reported this week that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton and others met to discuss dismantling the agency.

CNN cited “multiple sources familiar with the meeting” and the Post cited “four people familiar with the talks.” The Post said the aim was “all but eliminating the embattled agency’s role in disaster recovery by Oct. 1.”

An analysis by the Atlantic Council political, economic and secuirty think tank said Trump abolishing FEMA would be a “cruel irony” because it would “likely hurt the worst in states that supported Trump, especially Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and the Carolinas.”

Donalds and Moskowitz are advocating a different approach.

They are proposing the FEMA Independence Act that would take FEMA out of the Department of Homeland Security and make it a freestanding agency.

Another provision would require that the agency leader, who would be subject to Senate confirmation, have “a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management and homeland security” across the public and private sectors.

One person who fits that description: Moskowitz.

In the public sector, Moskowitz was director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management during most of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ first term, and was widely seen as effective in the role. He was at the forefront of the state’s response to the COVID pandemic, and even changed his social media handle to “Jared MASKowitz” at the height of the crisis.

In the private sector, Moskowitz was general counsel for AshBritt Inc., a national disaster response company based in Deerfield Beach.

In December, his name was floated as a possible Trump pick as FEMA director, but Moskowitz ruled that out and said he’d seek a third term in the House in 2026 representing parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Moskowitz is serving his second term in Congress, and introduced the FEMA Independence Act in 2023, but it was unsuccessful.

“As the first Emergency Management Director ever elected to Congress, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disaster events. As these emergencies continue to grow larger and more widespread, the American people deserve a federal response that is efficient and fast. To achieve that, FEMA should be reformed,” Moskowitz said in a statement. “FEMA currently sits under the bureaucracy of the Department of Homeland Security.” He said homeland security “has become too big and too slow to oversee what needs to be a quick and flexible emergency response.”

Moskowitz said focusing the agency on responding before, during and after disasters would improve efficiency and save lives.

Donalds, serving his third term in the House, has announced he’s running the 2026 Republican nomination for governor, with Trump’s support, and he kicks off his candidacy with a rally on Friday evening.

“FEMA has become overly-bureaucratic, overly-politicized, overly-inefficient, and substantial change is needed to best serve the American people,” Donalds said in a statement. “When disaster strikes, quick and effective action must be the standard — not the exception. It is imperative that FEMA is removed from the bureaucratic labyrinth of DHS and instead is designated to report directly to the president.”

The measure would be taking FEMA back to its roots. When it was started in 1979 it was an independent agency.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Department of Homeland Security was stitched together among a variety of federal agencies. Currently it encompasses 20 agencies, dealing with law enforcement, disasters, border protection and civil defense.

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