President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at overhauling the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The executive order establishes the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council, a task force charged with evaluating FEMA and proposing reforms in a report to the president. The council will include the secretaries of homeland security and defense, along with private-sector experts, according to the order. The task force’s recommendations could include eliminating FEMA, although such a move would require congressional approval.
Trump signed the order on Friday after touring wildfire-ravaged communities in Southern California during his first presidential trip of his second term. He has previously threatened to withhold federal disaster declarations and limit aid to certain states, including California, citing frustrations with their handling of natural disasters.
Trump has yet to appoint a new head to oversee FEMA.
