Blumenthal Demands FEMA Administrator Address Critical Staffing Shortages Ahead of Hurricane Season

[Hartford, CT] — U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a member of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today wrote to the new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Cameron Hamilton demanding answers about how he plans to address critical staffing shortages at the agency. Since the start of President Trump’s second term, FEMA has lost a staggering 20 percent of its staff. A recent GAO report found that FEMA prioritized workforce reductions over ensuring that it had the staffing capacity to respond to current or future disasters. Region 1, which serves Connecticut, lost 292 employees – 12% of its staff – just from workforce reduction efforts. “I appreciated your acknowledgement during your confirmation hearing of the challenges FEMA faces because of President Trump’s drastic staff cuts. Now that you are confirmed, you are responsible for confronting those challenges. Please provide, in writing, your plan to address the staffing cuts agency-wide, and especially in Region 1, and how you plan to ensure FEMA is fully prepared to support Americans this hurricane season and beyond,” Blumenthal wrote. In August 2024, Connecticut suffered devastating flooding that killed two people and destroyed countless homes and businesses. FEMA was on the ground within days and was crucial to supporting towns and homeowners as they rebuilt roads, bridges, homes and other infrastructure. Trump’s draconian staffing cuts to FEMA raise serious questions about how prepared the agency would be to respond to a similar disaster. “We owe it to the American people to ensure FEMA has the resources and staff necessary as it works with communities across the country to prepare for, and respond to, natural disasters,” Blumenthal also wrote. Blumenthal sharply questioned Hamilton about staffing cuts during his June 17, 2026 U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee confirmation hearing. Video of the exchange is available here. A copy of Blumenthal’s letter to Hamilton is available here and below. August 20, 2026 Dear Administrator Hamilton, Now that you have been confirmed as Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and in light of a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that revealed FEMA has recklessly slashed staff under the Trump administration, I write to ask your plans for dealing with the agency’s current staffing challenges. Since the start of President Trump’s second term, FEMA has lost a staggering twenty percent of its staff. A recent GAO report found that these staff cuts were made without an assessment of the agency’s ability to fulfill its statutory requirements. In other words, FEMA prioritized workforce reductions over ensuring that it had the staffing capacity to respond to current or future disasters. The report also revealed that most cuts disproportionately impacted regional offices, which are most closely connected to the communities they serve. Region 1, which serves Connecticut, lost 292 employees – 12% of its staff – just from workforce reduction programs. This drastic reduction in staff constitutes a loss of institutional knowledge and experience that cannot be replaced and has left the United States more vulnerable when the next disaster strikes. I appreciated your acknowledgement during your confirmation hearing of the challenges FEMA faces because of President Trump’s drastic staff cuts. Now that you are confirmed, you are responsible for confronting those challenges. Please provide, in writing, your plan to address the staffing cuts agency-wide, and especially in Region 1, and how you plan to ensure FEMA is fully prepared to support Americans this hurricane season and beyond. We owe it to the American people to ensure FEMA has the resources and staff necessary as it works with communities across the country to prepare for, and respond to, natural disasters. I look forward to your response on this important issue. -30-