54 Members of Congress Joined Letter Demanding Answers About Political Discrimination
FEMA Mandates New Political Bias Training
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan announced that three Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) supervisors were fired following his November 2024 letter co-signed by 54 House colleagues demanding answers and accountability after revelations that FEMA staff avoided providing storm assistance to homes displaying campaign signs for President Trump.
“FEMA’s decision to terminate additional workers and implement a new mandatory training is a step in the right direction, but it should never have come to this,” said Buchanan. “Disaster relief should be delivered based on need, not politics. The fact that Floridians were denied help in their time of crisis is outrageous and completely unacceptable. I’m encouraged by the Trump administration’s efforts to correct for this egregious behavior and ensure that it never happens again.”
Cameron Hamilton, a senior official performing the duties of FEMA administrator, revealed the firings in a letter responding to Buchanan. The terminations follow an “exhaustive investigation” of ousted FEMA worker Marn’i Washington and her colleagues by FEMA’s Office of Professional Responsibility, which “found no evidence that this was a systemic problem.”
“In accordance with my commitment, and that of President Trump and Secretary Noem, to ensure that Americans receive impartial assistance from FEMA, I have directed a comprehensive additional training for FEMA staff to reinforce that political affiliation should never be considered in the rendering of assistance,” said Hamilton.
According to reports from sources inside FEMA, at least 20 homes with pro-Trump campaign signs or flags were bypassed by relief workers from late October through November 2024 as a result of guidance from a FEMA supervisor directing workers to avoid these homes.
Joining Buchanan on the letter to former FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell were Reps. Robert Aderholt, Brian Babin, Aaron Bean, Stephanie Bice, Gus Bilirakis, Lauren Boebert, Josh Brecheen, Vern Buchanan, Kat Cammack, Mike Carey, Buddy Carter, Dan Crenshaw, Warren Davidson, Byron Donalds, Jeff Duncan, Neal Dunn, Randy Feenstra, Drew Ferguson, Brad Finstad, Scott Fitzgerald, Charles Fleischmann, Virginia Foxx, Scott Franklin, Russell Fry, Matt Gaetz, Lance Gooden, Paul Gosar, Kevin Hern, French Hill, Richard Hudson, David Joyce, Doug LaMalfa, Nick Langworthy, Bob Latta, Laurel Lee, Debbie Lesko, Barry Loudermilk, Anna Paulina Luna, Nicole Malliotakis, Brian Mast, Rick McCormick, Mary Miller, Cory Mills, Greg Murphy, Ralph Norman, Burgess Owens, Bill Posey, Guy Reschenthaler, Mike Rogers, John Rutherford, María Elvira Salazar, Keith Self, Claudia Tenney, Beth Van Duyne, Tim Walberg and Daniel Webster.
Read Congressman Buchanan’s letter to former Administrator Criswell here.
Read Cameron Hamilton’s response to Congressman Buchanan here.
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