The Senate on Friday confirmed Cameron Hamilton as the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), returning the former Navy SEAL to the embattled agency he led temporarily last year.

Hamilton’s Nomination and Future Plans

Hamilton was among a group of 74 nominations approved by the Senate, including President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Transportation Security Administration, David Cummins, and his choice for ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Perez. Upon his swearing in, Hamilton will take over an agency whose future has been uncertain since Trump threatened to get rid of it days into his second term.

Hamilton will have to shepherd the overhaul of FEMA while stabilizing an agency of more than 20,000 employees recovering from Kristi Noem’s chaotic tenure as Department of Homeland Security secretary. During her tenure, FEMA saw mass staff departures, disruptions to grant programs, and delays of disaster aid.

Controversy and Challenges

Democrats are accusing Trump of politicizing disaster relief, with the President approving 80% of disaster requests from Republican governors but only about 60% from Democratic governors. Hamilton pledged to advocate for FEMA and its workforce while promising to ensure FEMA is objective, fair, and reasonable.

Hamilton’s nomination signaled that Trump may be moving on from his idea to eliminate FEMA. However, his Republican administration is still promising drastic changes in how the government handles disasters. The Trump administration and lawmakers are advocating for sweeping changes to federal disaster response, which could speed assistance but might reduce how much and how often FEMA helps.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.