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amendment would have provided CBP the funding it needs to ensure adequate health care for <br /> detainees, but Republicans rejected the amendment. <br /> Dismantling DHS <br /> Committee Republicans did not just oppose commonsense amendments to stop cruel <br /> deportations. They also rejected amendments aimed at ending the Trump administration's <br /> wholesale dismantling of the Nation's homeland security and disaster response and recovery <br /> enterprise. <br /> Republicans Wish to Abolish FEMA <br /> The Republican reconciliation package completely neglects the fact that the Trump <br /> administration has started executing a plan to abolish FEMA. Secretary Noem and other officials <br /> in the Trump administration continue to openly discuss dismantling FEMA, which is the one <br /> agency dedicated to assisting Americans in the aftermath of disasters.' In a March 2025 televised <br /> Cabinet meeting, Secretary Noem even proudly declared, "We're going to eliminate FEMA."' <br /> Secretary Noem's remarks on eliminating FEMA come at a time when reports say FEMA will be <br /> short staffed by 20 percent at the start of hurricane season, largely due to Elon Musk's staffing <br /> schemes and politically motivated firings.'o <br /> In addition to weakening the FEMA workforce, the administration is unlawfully withholding <br /> billions of Federal disaster response, flood mitigation, and wildfire prevention grant funding <br /> even as court orders have instructed the Agency to immediately disburse the funding." <br /> Committee Republicans rejected an amendment offered by Rep. Pou that would have prohibited <br /> implementing a process that delays or withholds the disbursement of funds made available in the <br /> measure. In April, the Trump administration announced that it was canceling nearly $4.5 billion <br /> in mitigation funding awards to communities across the country in from the Building Resilient <br /> Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program—which is congressionally authorized and <br /> appropriated funding for mitigation projects.' Furthermore, political retribution is reportedly <br /> influencing key FEMA decisions on the allocation of assistance and determining which <br /> communities receive aid. Reportedly, FEMA employees are now saying that the Agency is <br /> politicizing"grant funds and disaster assistance like we've never seen before."" <br /> Committee Republicans unanimously rejected all the amendments offered by Democrats that <br /> would have addressed the Trump administration's planned elimination of FEMA and the <br /> 'Thomas Frank,FEMA halts grant program that spent billions on disaster protection,E&E NEWS (Apr. 4,2025), <br /> https://www.cenews.net/article s/fema-halts-grant-program-that-spent-billions-on-disaster-protection/. <br /> 'Id. <br /> 10 Gabe Cohen,FF.AdA losing roughly 20%of permanent staff, including longtime leaders, ahead of hurricane <br /> season, CNN(Apr.23,2025),https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/23/politics/fema-staff-cuts-hurricane-season/ <br /> index.html. <br /> "Zach Schonfeld,Judge finds FF.AdA withholding grants in violation of court order,THE HIES(Apr. 4,2025), <br /> https://theliill.com/regulatior/court-battles/5232494 judge-fema-grants-trump-blue-states/. <br /> 12 Gabe Cohen&Annie Grayer, When billions in emergency funds were stalled, the Trump administration sped <br /> FEM money to some GOP-led states, CNN(Apr. 22,2025),https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/22/politics/fema- <br /> money-slowed-trump/index.html. <br /> 13 Id. <br /> 4 <br />