Current and former employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) gathered outside the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Friday to protest recent workforce and program cuts. The demonstration, called the “FEMA Solidarity Rally,” brought attention to concerns about disaster preparedness and the agency’s future.
The rally followed disciplinary action taken against some staff members who signed a public dissent letter in August. These employees have been on paid administrative leave for nearly two months after criticizing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other officials in the Trump administration for reducing FEMA’s staff and programs.
“It’s clear these disasters are becoming more frequent and more intense,” said Jeremy Edwards, FEMA’s deputy director of public affairs under President Joe Biden. “Our country needs FEMA now more than ever. And right now, FEMA needs us, too.”
Phoenix Gibson, a current FEMA employee who signed the dissent letter, stated, “Try as they might to run us over, we are not backing down, and we are putting up one hell of a fight.”
FEMA did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the rally.
Participants at the event displayed signs supporting FEMA and highlighted the agency’s mission. Some veterans recalled their involvement in major disaster responses, such as the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Michael Coen, who served as FEMA chief of staff during the Obama and Biden administrations, commented, “The employees’ commitment to helping people compelled them to warn Congress and the American people of the cascading effects of the decisions being made by the current administration.”
Organizers called for Secretary Noem to reinstate employees who signed the August declaration, for acting administrator David Richardson to resign, and for FEMA staff to be relieved from assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
President Donald Trump has previously suggested eliminating or restructuring FEMA, although his statements have shifted recently. Secretary Noem has advocated for remaking FEMA into a new agency.
Since January, FEMA has experienced significant turnover, with about 18% of its permanent full-time employees leaving, including 24 senior-level staff, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Resilience and preparedness funding has also been reduced, and a new policy requiring Noem’s personal approval for spending over $100,000 has drawn criticism, particularly after it was linked to delays in search-and-rescue operations during the Texas floods in July.
A 12-person FEMA review council, led by Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is expected to submit recommendations by December. Any substantial changes to FEMA’s authority would require congressional action. The House introduced a bipartisan “FEMA Act” this summer, proposing several reforms, including returning FEMA to Cabinet-level status, switching to project-based grants, and streamlining disaster assistance applications.
