US disaster relief agency head sacked at tricky time

»Cameron Hamilton, the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was pushed out of the job on Thursday, weeks before the start of the US hurricane season.

- CHRISTOPHER FLAVELLE

His ouster came a day after he told members of Congress that Fema — which President Donald Trump has suggested should be disbanded — was vital to communities “in their greatest times of need” and should not be eliminated.

The agency, which coordinates the federal response to natural disasters, confirmed Mr Hamilton was no longer serving as acting administrator.

Many other senior leaders have been fired or decided to leave as the agency has faced an uncertain future.

On Tuesday, Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary whose department includes Fema, testified before lawmakers in Washington that Fema should be eliminated.

Mr Hamilton, appearing before Congress on Wednesday, said instead that Fema “must return to its roots’, helping state and local governments respond to disasters.

“Communities look to Fema in their greatest times of need,’ Mr Hamilton told lawmakers, “and it’s imperative that we remain ready to respond to those challenges’

Mr Hamilton added, “I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency’.

Even so, he said, that was “a conversation that should be had between the president of the United States and this governing body’.

The debate over whether Fema should survive dates back to the early days of the administration.