Press Releases
Kennedy, Amo Demand Answers on Federal Government’s Lack of Preparedness After Deadly Texas Floods
Buffalo, NY,
July 10, 2025
Representatives Demand Answers and Accountability on Cuts to Critical Government Resources and Staffing BUFFALO, NY – In the wake of catastrophic flooding that has claimed at least 120 lives in Central Texas, Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) and Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01) issued a joint letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) leadership, demanding answers about staffing shortfalls and systematic failures in the federal response. “As Ranking Members of the House Subcommittees with jurisdiction over emergency weather communications and disaster preparedness, it is our duty to conduct oversight of failures by the federal government in these areas,” Kennedy and Amo said. “We are deeply concerned that the extent of devastation could have been mitigated had the federal government, namely the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, not been subject to extreme cuts by the Trump administration.” The letter underscores the deadly consequences of the Administration’s reckless and misguided workforce cuts to FEMA and the National Weather Service. The Administration has overseen the loss of 1,000 NOAA employees, including six critical vacancies at the Austin/San Antonio NWS office and the departure of the region’s experienced warning coordination meteorologist. The lawmakers also condemned the Administration’s ongoing assault on FEMA, pointing to a lack of leadership within the agency. They cited the resignation of the head of FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center and the loss of 2,000 career staff through the deferred resignation buyout that gutted the agency’s workforce by 25 percent. Kennedy and Amo demanded the following information:
In their oversight letter, Kennedy and Amo urged the Trump administration to refocus their efforts on bolstering the nation’s disaster preparedness, concluding that “cuts to critical government resources and staffing have consequences, sometimes of life and death, that this administration can and must work to reverse. While disasters are unpredictable, federal support cannot be.” The text of the letter is below: July 10, 2025
Dear Mr. Richardson and Ms. Grimm, We write to express alarm regarding the devastation in Central Texas caused by severe flash flooding over the July 4th weekend. This devastation poses pressing questions regarding the federal government’s lack of preparedness for this extreme weather event. According to Texas officials, the death toll currently stands at 120, with many more individuals still missing. As Ranking Members of the House Subcommittees with jurisdiction over emergency weather communications and disaster preparedness, it is our duty to conduct oversight of failures by the federal government in these areas. Accordingly, we are deeply concerned that the federal government could have mitigated the extent of devastation had the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) not been subject to extreme cuts by the Trump administration. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which houses the NWS, has lost over 1,000 employees over the last several months due to this administration’s crusade against the federal workforce. NWS staffing at field offices across the U.S. is down by at least 20 percent, and in the Austin/San Antonio office responsible for issuing weather warnings for Kerr County, Texas, 6 of its 27 positions are vacant. Notably, the top warning coordination meteorologist for that field office took the Trump administration’s Deferred Resignation Program buyout in April after serving over three decades as the top official responsible for ensuring timely weather warnings to Central Texas counties. Despite a glaring lack of support from the Trump administration, NWS staff kept local officials and the public informed throughout the extreme weather event. The lack of adequate staffing across NWS poses serious questions about the real and deadly consequences of rash, misguided, and ill-informed cuts to the NWS workforce during future disasters. In addition, FEMA, another agency that this administration has degraded, undermined, and defunded, plays a critical role in disaster response and recovery. To date, 2,000 FEMA career staff have accepted the Trump administration’s deferred resignation buyout, slashing the workforce by 25 percent. Several weeks ago, the head of FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center resigned. This left a critical vacancy at the nation’s primary hub for coordinating emergency response during floods and other disasters. Compounding these deliberate staffing cuts, in June, an internal FEMA memo confirmed that Trump administration officials are working to implement policies that make it more difficult for states to receive funding after disasters. We support the administration’s issuance of a major disaster declaration for Texas on July 6. However, this is not the same FEMA that has responded to disaster declarations for floods in the past. FEMA personnel on the ground in Kerr County have already highlighted how the federal government’s deployment pales in comparison to other national disasters managed by previous administrations. For example, on the fifth day of Hurricane Helene in September 2024, 160 FEMA personnel had been deployed to North Carolina to deliver aid and provide logistics support. That is double the number of staff that have been sent to Central Texas to date. As of Wednesday night, Administrator Richardson has not visited Texas nor made any public statements about the disaster. This illustrates the Trump administration’s desire to diminish FEMA’s role, even in times of dire need. Following the conclusion of the immediate rescue and recovery missions, we are deeply concerned that Kerr County and its surrounding areas may be subject to delayed or rejected reimbursements for property damage. According to internal documents, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is personally reviewing and approving FEMA expenses that exceed $100,000, a previously formal process that is now subject to the whims of a cabinet member who has vowed to eliminate the agency in its entirety. This could mean years of delayed recovery and rebuilding for the affected communities in Central Texas. Accordingly, we request timely responses to the following matters:
A strong federal government provides a leading role in disaster management, from timely warnings and emergency communications at NWS, to search and rescue deployment by FEMA, to recovery and resilience assistance through FEMA’s many funding streams dedicated to afflicted communities. In the aftermath of a devastating disaster, this administration has responded with a shameful retreat from the fundamental promise we make to provide the American people help when they need it most. Cuts to critical government resources and staffing have consequences, sometimes of life and death, that this administration can and must work to reverse. We urge the Trump administration to refocus their efforts on bolstering the nation’s disaster preparedness, rather than weaken it. While disasters are unpredictable, federal support cannot be. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. Sincerely
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