In the wake of the deadly floods in Central Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott praised President Trump for quickly approving a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, the hardest-hit area.
“The swift and very robust action by President Trump is an extraordinary help to our response,” Abbott said.
The declaration unlocked federal money to assist with the disaster response. That includes paying for debris removal, for search and rescue experts who are working around the clock, and for housing, food and other immediate necessities for those who lost homes in the floods.
But such assistance may not be available in the future.
President Trump has proposed eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which provides billions of dollars in assistance to communities hit by disasters. He argues that states should take on more responsibility for responding to and preparing for extreme weather and other disasters.
Texas leaders are helping Trump realize that goal.
This spring, the president appointed a council of Cabinet members, governors and emergency management experts, tasked with recommending changes to FEMA. Gov. Abbott and the top emergency official in Texas, W. Nim Kidd, are both on that council.
“FEMA is slow and clunky and doesn’t solve the needs of those who need it the most,” Abbott said at the first meeting of the FEMA Review Council in May. “States have proven that we can move more nimbly, more swiftly, more effectively.”