Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

FEMA’s disaster relief practices under Biden administration spark legislation

FEMA’s disaster relief practices under Biden administration spark legislation

A sign marks the location of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters building on January 29, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Getty Images, J. David Ake

From 1995 until COVID hit, Scott Harding led student groups to volunteer in areas affected by natural disasters through the National Relief Network (NRN).

Harding, who also founded NRN, said he has taken groups across the country to disaster sites in his time and noticed Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representatives, a group helping communities in the United States recover from natural disasters. But Harding said what he calls a “Biden Administration phenomenon,” caused by the Democratic culture in the nation’s capital, has politicized the disaster relief process.


“If I am not mistaken, D.C. is probably 95 or more percent Democrat, and there just seems to be a lot of political turmoil,” Harding said.

According to results from the 2024 presidential election, 92.5 percent of D.C. residents voted for Vice President Kamala Harris and 6.6 percent for President Donald Trump.

During efforts to assist those affected by Hurricane Milton and Helene in 2024, FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington was fired after reports stated she told FEMA workers to skip over houses in Placid, Fla., displaying support for Trump.

As a result, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody sued former FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and Washington in November 2024.

“I am taking swift legal action to find out how far this political discrimination reaches and to make sure all Americans who fall victim to devastating storms are served, regardless of their political affiliation,” Moody stated in a press release.

In February 2025, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel filed a Hatch Act complaint against Washington for her actions. The Hatch Act’s purpose is to ensure federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan manner so federal employee's actions are not passed on political merit.

According to a report from the New York Post, an agency official told The Post it was “an open secret” during the Biden administration that FEMA employees avoided “white or conservative-dominated” disaster zones. These orders were “clear guidance” from the official’s supervisors.

Recently, new legislation has been introduced to the House of Representatives. Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) introduced legislation to prohibit discrimination based on political affiliation when granting disaster assistance. Perry, Tracey Mann (R-Kan.), and Sam Graves (R-Mo.) introduced similar legislation during the 118th Congress.

“The blatant disregard of President-elect Trump supporters directly contradicts FEMA’s core mission and values,” the members wrote when introducing the legislation last year.

Although Harding has not volunteered to support people in natural disasters since before COVID-19, he said FEMA supervisors in the nation’s capital can override what local FEMA representatives are doing. One example Harding recalls is FEMA supervisors drawing a line in a community in North Carolina affected by flooding, meaning not all residents received disaster assistance.

“They make decisions in Washington, D.C., which make absolutely no sense for the people on the ground,” Harding said, adding storms do not follow man-made lines.

Harding also said that in American society, he has noticed how people with different political opinions cannot get along now, compared to previous years. According to the Vanderbilt Unity Index, the U.S. is on track to continue increasing political polarization. When Harding used to take students to volunteer in these natural disaster areas, he said he encouraged students to talk with those they were serving.

One example he recalls is bringing a group of students down to Morehead City, N.C. While cleaning out an older man’s house, which was flooded, he brought out a rocking chair to sit on his lawn and watch the volunteers. Harding said he suddenly looked over and noticed six students seated on the ground talking to the man.

Harding said the students learned the man had been born approximately 80 years ago in his now-flooded house, which his father had also built.

“That’s what I think FEMA forgets,” Harding said. “They’re too busy looking at logistics they forget who they are serving.”


Maggie Rhoads  is a student journalist attending George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs. At The Fulcrum, she covers how legislation and policy are impacting communities.

Read More

The $2 Billion a Day Problem of Polarization
A person holding a stack of dollar bills that are flying away.
Getty Images, PM Images

The $2 Billion a Day Problem of Polarization

What do a sausage maker and an insurance giant have in common? A growing concern about the divisions fracturing American society — and a willingness to do something about it.

At Johnsonville, recent research with The Harris Poll found that 82% of Americans agree there’s too much outrage in the country and wish we could “turn down the temperature.” The company’s “Keep It Juicy” campaign, voiced by actor Vince Vaughn, encourages Americans to reclaim everyday joy and civility. Meanwhile, Allstate, one of the nation’s largest insurers, has launched a three-year initiative with the Aspen Institute to strengthen trust in communities. Their message is clear: “Strong communities, businesses, and relationships are built on trust.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Beyond Thoughts and Prayers: Climate Catastrophes As Teachable Moments
File:Flooding of the Guadalupe River near Kerrville, Texas in 2025 ...

Beyond Thoughts and Prayers: Climate Catastrophes As Teachable Moments

The deadly Texas floods have receded, leaving lost and shattered lives. Donald Trump tells us not to politicize the moment, with spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt calling the floods “an act of God,” meaning no one is responsible. However, because the floods and the climate disasters that follow them make the costs heart-wrenchingly visible, they give us the chance to discuss root causes and the choices we face. If we don’t have these conversations, these teachable moments will quickly fade.

Democratic pushback has focused primarily on cutbacks to the National Weather Service and FEMA, leaving critical offices understaffed and undermining the ability to plan effectively. But the pushback has focused less on climate change, even as, the day before the floods, the Republicans paid for massive tax breaks for the wealthiest in part by slashing federal support for wind, solar, battery, and electric vehicles, energy efficiency, and other investments that gave us a chance to join China and Europe in leading the technologies of the future. So we need to discuss the choices presented to us by this tragedy — and all the others that will come.

Keep ReadingShow less
Defend Democracy Against Bombardments on the Elections Front –A Three-Part Series
low angle photography of beige building

Defend Democracy Against Bombardments on the Elections Front –A Three-Part Series

In Part One of this three-part series, Pat Merloe explored the impact of the political environment, the need for constitutional defense against power-grabbing, and the malign effects of proof of citizenship on voting.

In Part Two, Merloe explored the harmful effects of Executive Orders, the reversal of the Justice Department on voting rights, and the effects of political retribution.

Part Three: Attacks on the Courts, and the Need to Defend Universal and Equal Suffrage

As noted in Parts One and Two of this series, multipoint attacks against trustworthy elections are underway with just 16 months until 2026’s voting and less time before off-year elections this November. Awareness of the attacks – and those fortifying trustworthy processes – is crucial for defending democracy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Americans rally for Ukraine
People draped in an American flag and a Ukrainian flag join a march toward the United Nations.
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

How a ‘Bad’ Ceasefire Deal With Russia Could Jeopardize Ukraine, American Interests

WASHINGTON — As the Trump administration resumes sending weapons to Ukraine and continues urging a ceasefire with Russia, international actors have voiced warnings against a deal that could leave Ukraine vulnerable, jeopardize nearby countries, and threaten American interests.

President Donald Trump has vowed to end the war, but a United States-brokered deal would need to balance Ukraine's independence and European security, experts have said.

Keep ReadingShow less