NEWS: Casar, Neguse Demand Noem Reverse New FEMA Cuts

Image January 12, 2026 Press Release Washington, D.C. – On Monday, Congressman Greg Casar (D-TX) and Congressman Joe Neguse (D-CO) demanded that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reverse new cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Noem reportedly fired at least 65 FEMA staffers from the critical Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery team on New Year’s Eve. Reportedly, Noem plans to cut the CORE team by 41% and to make even deeper cuts to surge staffers. One former FEMA staffer reports the agency “can’t do disaster response and recovery without CORE employees.” Casar and Neguse write: “Your proposed cuts will decimate FEMA’s ability to respond to disasters. […] We urge you to renew the contracts of CORE employees, refrain from further firings at FEMA, and abandon your plan to eliminate the agency.” Noem’s latest cuts come on top of already devastating cuts to FEMA from DOGE and the Trump Administration. Previously, Casar and Neguse introduced legislation to reverse Trump’s dangerous cuts at FEMA and at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A copy of the letter is available here . ### Congressman Greg Casar represents Texas’s 35th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which runs down I-35 from East Austin to Hays County to the West Side of San Antonio. A labor organizer and son of Mexican immigrants, Casar serves as the Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for the 119th Congress. He also serves on the Committee on Education and Labor and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. Issues : Worker Rights