By Leah Douglas and Nathan Layne
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -David Richardson, the new head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told staff on Friday he will “run right over” anyone that resists changes and that all delegation of authority in the agency is immediately suspended.
Richardson spoke one day after he was appointed to replace acting FEMA chief Cameron Hamilton, who was ousted by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after telling a congressional hearing he did not support eliminating the agency.
President Donald Trump and Noem have called for the agency to be shrunk or even abolished, arguing that many of its functions can be carried out by the states, a stance that is already leading to decreased federal aid for disasters.
Richardson, a former Marine artillery officer and combat veteran, told staff in an all-hands call that was heavy on references to his military experience, that all decisions, including those on spending, would go through him.
“I, and I alone in FEMA, speak for FEMA. I’m here to carry out the president’s intent for FEMA,” Richardson, who was most recently assistant secretary for DHS’ office for countering weapons of mass destruction, told the staff.
Standing behind a lectern and speaking in a forceful tone, Richardson said in his experience carrying out reforms that roughly 20% of an organization will resist.
“Obfuscation, delay, undermining. If you’re one of those 20% of people and you think those tactics and techniques are going to help you, they will not, because I will run right over you,” Richardson said. “Don’t get in my way … I know all the tricks.”
The leadership change comes at a time when the agency, which is in charge of coordinating the federal government’s response to disasters, is helping states and local communities prepare for the onset of hurricane season on June 1.
Under Hamilton, FEMA had already moved to slash costs and narrow the agency’s mission. In April, Hamilton sent the White House a memo with suggestions for reducing FEMA’s role in responding to disasters. It included an option raising the threshold for providing aid to disaster-hit states.
In his first 100 days, Trump has turned down a series of requests for major disaster aid that the impacted states, both Republican- and Democratic-leaning alike, have said would have been approved under past administrations.
Richardson said he would be looking to narrow the agency’s operations to only actions that “are within the law” and “within our mission.” He said using resources beyond those parameters was a waste of taxpayer dollars.
“We’re going to find out how to do things better. We’re going to find out how to push things down to the states that should be done at state level. Also we’re going to find out how we can do more cost sharing with the states,” he said.
Richardson addressed a workforce that has been dwindling in size, targeted for cuts like other agencies by Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Some 2,000 FEMA employees have accepted incentives to leave or were terminated since the start of the Trump administration, shrinking its full-time staff by about one third, according to Michael Coen, former FEMA chief of staff under the administrations of former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Coen predicted Richardson’s address would further demoralize the staff.
“I think it’s going to lead to more departures from the agency, which is just going to further decrease FEMA’s capability for whenever the next catastrophic event happens.”
(Reporting by Leah Douglas and Nathan Layne in Washington; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
