STATEMENT: Trump Retaliates Against FEMA Whistleblowers Who Warned of Disaster Preparedness Crisis

Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina exposed America’s disaster response failures, the Trump administration is punishing the very people trying to prevent history from repeating itself. Nearly 200 current and former FEMA employees signed a letter this week warning that the Trump administration’s gutting of disaster response is leaving the country vulnerable to another Katrina-level catastrophe. In swift retaliation, the administration placed more than a dozen FEMA employees on leave for speaking out. The letter to Congress and the FEMA Review Council comes as the country braces for an “above-normal” hurricane season while facing massive cuts to FEMA staff and essential emergency funds.

In response, Sabotaging Our Safety Advisory Council Member Ashley Shelton, President of the Power Coalition for Electoral Justice, released the following statement:

“The Trump administration’s pattern is unmistakable: silence anyone who challenges their failures. These public servants spoke up because they see the danger ahead, and Trump’s response is to punish them instead of fixing the problem. 

“Twenty years after Katrina exposed our vulnerabilities, this administration is deliberately dismantling the progress we built to protect American lives. As climate disasters intensify, Trump is choosing political revenge over public safety.”

# # #