Amid growing concerns over bureaucratic inefficiency and the increasing frequency of natural disasters, a bipartisan pair of Florida lawmakers has introduced legislation to remove the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and reestablish it as a Cabinet-level agency reporting directly to the President.
Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) and Byron Donalds (R-FL) introduced the FEMA Independence Act, arguing that FEMA’s current placement within DHS has slowed its ability to respond effectively to emergencies. The bill would restore FEMA to the independent status it held prior to 2003, when it was folded into DHS following the passage of the Homeland Security Act.
Cutting Red Tape to Improve Response
“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,” said Rep. Moskowitz, who previously led Florida’s Division of Emergency Management. “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.”
He added, “FEMA currently sits under the bureaucracy of the Department of Homeland Security—and with around 20 other agencies and offices under that umbrella, the set-up simply doesn’t work. DHS has become too big and too slow to oversee what needs to be a quick and flexible emergency response.”
A Cabinet-Level FEMA
Under the proposed legislation, FEMA would become a standalone agency within the executive branch. The FEMA Administrator would be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. They would be required to have a demonstrated track record in emergency management and homeland security across both public and private sectors.
The bill also establishes provisions for up to four Senate-confirmed deputy directors and ten regional directors appointed by the Administrator. FEMA would retain all current responsibilities, including those under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
Support Across Party Lines
Rep. Donalds, a prominent Trump-aligned Republican, echoed Moskowitz’s call for structural reform. “FEMA has become overly-bureaucratic, overly-politicized, overly-inefficient, and substantial change is needed to best serve the American people,” he said. “When disaster strikes, quick and effective action must be the standard—not the exception.”
Their shared goal: restore FEMA’s agility by insulating it from the broader, sometimes conflicting priorities of DHS, which also oversees agencies like U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration.
Broader Political Context
The bill comes at a time when former President Donald Trump has publicly criticized FEMA’s effectiveness and ordered a Review Council to evaluate the agency’s operations. His recent executive order calls for stronger state and local roles in disaster management and hints at overhauling or even eliminating FEMA altogether.
While the Trump administration has initiated staff cuts and reorganizations at FEMA, firing over 200 employees earlier this year, Moskowitz and Donalds advocate for reformation, not elimination. “FEMA is meant to be an emergency management agency,” Moskowitz said. “But right now, it functions more as a grant agency with emergency management capabilities. This commonsense bill will help set those priorities back where they should be.”
What’s Next
The FEMA Independence Act will now be reviewed by the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. While some lawmakers continue to support keeping FEMA under DHS for coordination purposes, the bipartisan backing of this proposal could spark renewed debate on how best to modernize federal disaster response.