The turmoil at the Federal Emergency Management Agency turned another page on Wednesday as administrator nominee Cameron Hamilton faced Senators with charges that the agency's disaster relief response is politically motivated.
"Under President Trump's second administration, nearly 90% of Republican states' disaster assistance requests have been approved. That compares to only 23% of Democratic states requests," said Sen. Gary Peters D-Mich.
"No other president has created such a disparity in states that receive federal disaster aid, denying over 75% of requests from states that are led by representatives of another party."
The comments came during an unconventional hearing by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs that considered a total of eleven nominations.
"If confirmed, my focus will be to ensure that FEMA is objective, is fair and reasonable, follows the law, and is consistent in the approach in how we adjudicate and process claims and requests for disasters," said Hamilton.
Hamilton appeared on a panel that also featured nominees for the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Office of Special Counsel.
Democrats leaned into a chart and data compiled by Politico which shows $250 million in disaster aid blocked to Democratically led states, that typically would have been approved.
Republicans revisited claims that FEMA employees bypassed hurricane damaged homes in Florida that displayed pro-Trump signs or flags.
"Now that the federal government is deciding not to skip a few homes, but entire states, I would hope my colleagues would join me with that outrage that they had when a few houses were skipped," said Peters.
Hamilton served as the acting administrator for FEMA for five months in 2025 but was fired by President Trump after declaring in a House Appropriation Committee hearing that the agency should not be eliminated.
In May, the Trump administration's FEMA Review Council revealed recommendations that include lowering the minimum federal share of disaster relief from the current baseline of 75% down to 50%.
The federal cost share for temporary housing programs would drop from the current 100% to a 75/25 federal-state split.
States would be also required to meet a specific per-capita spending threshold with their own funds before any federal assistance kicks in.
States and local governments have a keen interest in FEMA reform as slow or non-existent disaster relief can effect credit ratings and raise borrowing costs.
Budget hawks are focused on state and local governments taking advantage of federal assistance.
"I think many states and local officials have had incentives to drive up costs," said Hamilton.
"I think this is also a unique challenge within disaster management response. We, as the agency, have confirmed we would need to strike a new balance to encourage cost reasonableness and cost savings."
"There are direct incentives for states to escalate costs because they bring home more resources and infrastructure."
FEMA's current rules are governed by the 1988 Stafford Act with both parties along with state and governments all agreeing needs to be reformed.
