FEMA's acting administrator is replaced a day after congressional testimony

Cam Hamilton, acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, testifies earlier the House Committee connected Appropriations subcommittee connected Homeland Security oversight proceeding of FEMA connected Capitol Hill connected Wednesday. Jose Luis Magana/AP hide caption

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Jose Luis Magana/AP

WASHINGTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency faced caller upheaval Thursday conscionable weeks earlier the commencement of hurricane play erstwhile the acting head was pushed retired and replaced by different authoritative from the Department of Homeland Security.

The abrupt alteration came the time aft Cameron Hamilton, a erstwhile Navy SEAL who held the occupation for the past fewer months, testified connected Capitol Hill that helium did not hold with proposals to dismantle an enactment that helps program for earthy disasters and distributes fiscal assistance.

"I bash not judge it is successful the champion involvement of the American radical to destruct the Federal Emergency Management Agency," helium said Wednesday.

President Donald Trump has suggested that idiosyncratic states, not the national government, should instrumentality the pb connected hurricanes, tornadoes and different crises. He has been sharply captious of FEMA's performance, peculiarly successful North Carolina aft Hurricane Helene.

David Richardson, a erstwhile Marine Corps serviceman who served successful Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa, volition tally FEMA for the clip being. He does not look to person immoderate acquisition successful managing earthy disasters. He presently serves arsenic the Department of Homeland Security's adjunct caput for countering weapons of wide destruction.

FEMA unit were notified of the alteration successful enactment done a little email.

Last month, Trump, a Republican, created a reappraisal assembly tasked with "reforming and streamlining the nation's exigency absorption and catastrophe effect system," according to Homeland Security.

During Hamilton's quality earlier a House Appropriations subcommittee Wednesday, helium shared concerns astir however FEMA assistance is administered. He besides said the bureau had "evolved into an overextended national bureaucracy, attempting to negociate each benignant of exigency nary substance however minor."

But erstwhile Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, asked Hamilton however helium felt astir plans to destruct FEMA, Hamilton said helium did not judge the bureau should beryllium eliminated.

"Having said that," Hamilton continued, "I'm not successful a presumption to marque decisions and interaction outcomes connected whether oregon not a determination specified arsenic consequential arsenic that should beryllium made. That is simply a speech that should beryllium had betwixt the president of the United States and this governing body."

In a connection Thursday afternoon, DeLauro expressed enactment for Hamilton and accused Trump of firing "anyone who is not blindly loyal to him."

"The Trump medication indispensable explicate wherefore helium has been removed from this position," said DeLauro. "Integrity and morality should not outgo you your job."