WASHINGTON — A sweeping restructuring of the Federal Emergency Management Agency could be on tap when Congress returns from its July 4 recess, a possibility for Oklahoma that could redefine what disaster recovery looks like in a state long dependent on federal assistance.
But with President Donald Trump’s new Council to Assess FEMA holding its first meeting in May, two senior members of Oklahoma’s federal delegation — House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole and U.S. Sen. James Lankford — are urging the council to consider long-term impacts before finalizing any overhaul.
This story was reported by Gaylord News, a Washington reporting project of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma.
The city of Moore is an Oklahoma case study in why FEMA matters. An EF5 tornado in May 2013 killed 24 people, leveled entire neighborhoods and caused more than $2 billion in damage. An official with Moore’s community development agency said the city wouldn’t be the same without FEMA’s support, and Cole (R-OK4) represents the community.
“We need to be careful about not throwing the baby out with the bathwater,” Cole said.
Lankford, meanwhile, cautioned the White House in a February letter days after Trump established the council.
“It is essential that the council solicit feedback from leaders with substantial knowledge of disaster recovery efforts. Oklahoma is no stranger to natural disasters, and we are often forced to grapple with the ensuing wreckage and trauma. Despite these challenges, Oklahomans have consistently risen above the fray to help one another in recovery,” wrote Lankford (R-OK). “Given our experience with natural disasters, I respectfully request that the council solicit feedback from emergency management leaders in Oklahoma.”
Since 2020, FEMA has paid Oklahoma victims of natural disasters about $447 million, said Keli Cain, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. In just 2024, approximately $13 million in direct federal assistance was given to Oklahoma. And following the March 2025 wildfires, FEMA opened disaster recovery centers across seven counties.
Trump’s 12-member FEMA Review Council has voices from hurricane coastlines and floodzones, but none from Oklahoma. In terms of states in Tornado Alley, only Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management are members. Trump established the council to evaluate the disaster agency’s long-term role in national disaster response and whether greater responsibility should shift to states, which already must provide a portion of emergency response dollars to qualify for FEMA aid.
Kristi Noem, co-chairperson of the council and Homeland Security Department secretary, addressed Oklahoma’s absence, saying she asked Gov. Kevin Stitt for “insight and wisdom” in the first meeting May 20, during which the council discussed goals to streamline the agency while addressing recent response delays in North Carolina and Florida. Stitt’s office did not respond to Gaylord News’ question about whether the governor had offered the information sought by the committee.
‘If they can’t handle it, they shouldn’t be governor’
On June 10, Trump gave his most detailed response yet to questions about potential FEMA reforms.
“We’re moving it back to the states, so the governors can handle. That’s why they’re governors,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “If they can’t handle it, they shouldn’t be governor.”
In his letter, Lankford said he supports reform, but he emphasized continuity, saying too many agencies have responsibilities under the federal disaster framework and that major reforms are necessary to ensure Americans are best supported in times of need.
Lankford said Trump should consider removing agencies with non-emergency response duties, such as the U.S. Department of Commerce, from “the current federal disaster framework.”
Lankford has introduced four bills to build on Trump’s effort to address FEMA issues: cutting red tape on environmental and historic preservation review requirements, creating a pilot program for communities applying directly for property acquisitions, creating readiness and resilience measures and prohibiting discrimination based on political affiliation in federal disaster relief.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) emphasized his belief in local leadership over federal intervention regarding disaster response to Hurricane Helene on Fox Business’ The Bottom Line in October.
“It’s not FEMA that’s going to respond, it’s the local people,” Mullin said. Those waiting on the government to act in a disaster could be waiting indefinitely, he said.
But in June 2024, Mullin said federal financial assistance is imperative in times of need when he visited tornado-wrecked Claremore.
And while Cole, a resident of Moore, agreed FEMA needs reform, he defined the agency as instrumental in recovering every disaster he’s seen.
“When state and local resources are exhausted, we do rely on FEMA to bring additional capabilities that save residents, remove debris and help our fellow citizens rebuild,” Cole said.
During a May 6 congressional hearing, Cole reminded Noem that the House Appropriations Committee was looking forward to receiving a plan from the administration about how federal grants would be redirected for state control.
“This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s one that concerns states, regardless of politics,” Cole said.
