Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Donald Trump have publicly voiced dissatisfaction with FEMA since taking office earlier in 2025. (Getty Images/Alex Brandon)
The spokesperson did not reveal how many FEMA employees were placed on leave following the letter's publication.
"Under the Biden Administration, the American people were abandoned as disasters ravaged North Carolina, and needed aid was denied based on party affiliation in Florida," the spokesperson continued. "Our obligation is to survivors, not to protecting broken systems. Under the leadership of Secretary Noem, FEMA will return to its mission of assisting Americans at their most vulnerable."
The nonprofit Stand Up for Science published the open letter Monday, directed to Congress, claiming the agency is allegedly led by individuals who lack the "legal qualifications, Senate approval, and the demonstrated background" to oversee federal disaster preparation and response. The letter took direct aim at FEMA and Department of Homeland Security leaders such as Secretary Kristi Noem.
"Decisions made by FEMA’s Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Administrator (SOPDA) David Richardson, Former SOPDA Cameron Hamilton, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem erode the capacity of FEMA and our State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) partners, hinder the swift execution of our mission, and dismiss experienced staff whose institutional knowledge and relationships are vital to ensure effective emergency management," the letter claimed.
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Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was one of the worst disasters to hit the United States in recent history, leading to 1,833 fatalities, more than $100 billion in damages and thousands of homeless New Orleanians, data from the National Weather Service shows. The letter claimed that such a disaster could rock the U.S. again due to the current state of the agency.
"Hurricane Katrina was not just a natural disaster, but a man-made one: the inexperience of senior leaders and the profound failure by the federal government to deliver timely, unified, and effective aid to those in need left survivors to fend for themselves for days, and highlighted how Black, Indigenous, and low-income communities are disproportionally affected by disasters," the letter states.
FEMA employees signed an open letter slamming the Trump administration's leadership of the agency. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The letter published Monday included the full names of at least 35 former and current FEMA employees, while the majority were "unlisted" signatures.
Signatories took issue with six initiatives under the Trump administration specifically, including: "reduction in capability of FEMA to perform its missions;" the "failure to appoint a qualified FEMA administrator;" the "reduction of FEMA’s disaster workforce;" and "the censorship of climate science, environmental protection, and efforts to ensure all communities have access to information, resources."
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FEMA is currently led by David Richardson. Richardson replaced former acting FEMA chief Cameron Hamilton in May following Hamilton's departure from the agency just days after telling members of Congress that he does not believe FEMA should be eliminated.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fema-employees-placed-leave-after-claiming-trump-leadership-could-spark-next-hurricane-katrina