WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined all ten of their Senate colleagues representing New England states in seeking answers about reports that the Trump Administration is considering eliminating certain Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regional offices, including the Region 1 office that serves Rhode Island.  

In a bipartisan letter, the twelve U.S. Senators urged President Trump to reject any attempt to downsize or eliminate FEMA offices, which would take critical personnel farther away from the communities they serve. 

FEMA Region 1 serves state, local, and tribal governments in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.  The regional offices coordinate immediate response efforts when disaster strikes and, once the storm has passed, facilitate the deployment of federal assistance to support long-term recovery across New England.  These offices also help communities mitigate the impact of future extreme weather events, and help homeowners, farms, and businesses stay safe before a storm or disaster hits.

“We sincerely hope these reports are untrue and that you will reject any attempt to consolidate FEMA regional offices, which would take critical personnel farther away from the communities they serve,” wrote the 12 U.S. Senators. “As you know, FEMA Region 1 serves state, local, and tribal governments in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island. It coordinates immediate response efforts when disaster strikes and, once the storm has passed, facilitates the deployment of federal assistance to support long-term recovery across New England.”

President Trump previously said he was considering getting rid of FEMA and his U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, the cabinet official who oversees FEMA, reportedly called for eliminating FEMA.  Senators Reed and Whitehouse say such a move would make it harder for Rhode Island to effectively respond to and recover from major emergencies and natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, blizzards, wildfires, and more.

In addition to Reed and Whitehouse the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Angus King (I-ME), Peter Welch (D-VT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ed Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Chris Murphy (D-CT).

Over the past decade, FEMA has responded to nearly 1,400 disasters nationwide, including hurricanes, floods, and severe weather. The agency coordinates the federal response during emergency situations, such as calling the U.S. Department of Defense to assist with rescue helicopters or trucking in generators in the aftermath of a storm.  FEMA also helps state and local communities with recovery operations, including damage assessment and distribution of federal funds to help rebuild.  Over the last four years, FEMA has provided over $145 billion nationwide to individuals, states, and local governments and some nonprofits to help with recovery efforts.

Full text of the letter follows:

Dear President Trump, 

We write regarding reports that the White House is considering a proposal to eliminate Region 1 of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). We sincerely hope these reports are untrue and that you will reject any attempt to consolidate FEMA regional offices, which would take critical personnel farther away from the communities they serve. 

As you know, FEMA Region 1 serves state, local, and tribal governments in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island. It coordinates immediate response efforts when disaster strikes and, once the storm has passed, facilitates the deployment of federal assistance to support long-term recovery across New England. 

In recent years, New England has been struck by several natural disasters resulting in tragic loss of life and billions of dollars in property and infrastructure damage. Through their partnership in our states’ recovery efforts, FEMA Region 1 personnel have developed an intimate familiarity with our state, local, and tribal government counterparts and with the unique attributes that differentiate New England from the rest of the country. Any attempt to shutter Region 1 or subsume it into a larger entity will squander that expertise, gained over years of experience navigating increasingly frequent disasters in the region, and materially degrade service in our states. 

FEMA regional offices provide critical, on-the-ground assistance to disaster-affected communities. They offer the resources and expertise many communities lack. FEMA must be improved to benefit recovering communities, but regional office consolidations will leave state, local, and tribal governments stranded when disaster strikes, and make federal disaster assistance less effective in the long term. In the wake of a disaster, our communities should not be forced to navigate critical federal disaster assistance programs with only the limited counsel of staff far removed from conditions on the ground. 

We respectfully request a prompt response regarding the veracity of reports that your Administration is considering eliminating FEMA Region 1 and, if such reports are true, urge you to reject this deeply misguided proposal.

Sincerely,