White House Asks Congress’ FEMA Task Force to Delay Recommendations, As Trump Pushes Cuts

Rep. Chuck Edwards, a North Carolina Republican, said the White House asked him to push off announcing his proposal for FEMA.

Chuck Edwards

Rep. Chuck Edwards says he was tapped by Trump to lead a North Carolina task force on FEMA reform. Makiya Seminera/AP

The Trump administration is moving full-steam ahead with cuts to disaster relief programs provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as congressional oversight of the agency appears to be falling by the wayside.

North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards — who says Trump appointed him and other North Carolina officials to a task force to review and provide the administration with recommendations to fix FEMA and accelerate recovery efforts from the damage left by Hurricane Helene in their state — cancelled his Tuesday press conference where he intended to announce those recommendations.

“The White House asked me for more time to look over my plans and comment on them, so I’m accommodating their request,” Edwards told NOTUS on Tuesday.