Mullin Nomination Threatens Disaster Response After Year of FEMA Chaos

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the abrupt removal of Kristi Noem from her position as Department of Homeland Security Secretary, President Trump has nominated Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to lead the department overseeing FEMA. Mullin represents a state that has received approval for federal disaster aid more than any other state in the past two decades, yet his record on disaster relief funding remains inconsistent. While he has advocated for FEMA assistance following Oklahoma's devastating tornadoes, he voted against critical FEMA funding in 2024 even as his constituents faced mounting climate disasters.

The nomination comes as FEMA continues to reel from months of chaos under Noem's leadership, including mass firings of disaster response workers, delayed aid to communities in Texas after disastrous flooding last summer, and leaked plans to cut FEMA's workforce in half and force mass relocations out of Washington, D.C

In response, Sabotaging Our Safety Advisory Board member Ashley Shelton, released the following statement:

“Senator Mullin represents a state that knows disaster firsthand—Oklahoma suffered $1.7 billion in damage in 2024 alone, and families there have relied on FEMA to rebuild. Yet his record shows he’s willing to deny that same support and back Trump’s dangerous push to dismantle federal disaster response. After the damage Kristi Noem did to FEMA’s workforce and mission, the country cannot afford another political loyalist treating disaster relief like a bargaining chip.”

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