White House official denies plan to abolish FEMA

Alsharq Tribune-AFP

It is not on the agenda of the White House to abolish the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) outright, The Washington Post on Friday cited an official source, as U.S. President Donald Trump travels to Texas to view the impact of last week's deadly floods.

For months, Trump and his homeland security secretary have said that FEMA, the agency initially created to coordinate the response to disasters that occur in the United States and that overwhelm the resources of local and state authorities, could be eliminated.

The newspaper quoted a White House official as saying that no official action is being taken to wind down FEMA, and that changes in the agency will probably amount to a "rebranding" that will emphasize state leaders' roles in disaster response.

Trump will make the ultimate decision, but at this point FEMA is not set to be abolished, it added.

On Friday, Trump is scheduled to meet with first responders and family members of the victims in Texas, receive a briefing from local elected officials and take part in a roundtable discussion.

Authorities have confirmed at least 120 deaths across six counties in Texas, including 60 adults and 36 children in Kerr County, since the floods erupted about a week ago.