Republicans visit North Carolina alongside Trump, vow FEMA reforms

House Republicans joined President Donald Trump in a visit to North Carolina communities recovering from Hurricane Helene on Friday. During the trip, they promised to redouble efforts to keep the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) accountable in its distribution of aid and use of funding.

Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., said it was undeniable that FEMA dropped the ball in North Carolina. He said his visit to Asheville with the president only confirmed that FEMA had gotten in the way of the state's ability to rebuild and provide real assistance to the victims of Hurricane Helene. He went on to call for FEMA to be reformed and promised to work with Trump in Congress to ensure Americans affected by natural disasters received the help they needed.

What’s the deal with FEMA? Republicans have criticized the rollout of federal aid in response to the hurricane’s destruction four months ago. Part of those frustrations stem from cumbersome bureaucracy. Others reflect widespread frustrations online, some of which stem from misconceptions circulating in the wake of the flooding.

Of the many rumors spread over social media, some claimed the agency was restricting relief to $750 per person, had refused the help of volunteers, distributed aid to preferred demographics, and even diverted disaster funding to migrants arriving at the U.S. southern border.

Some members like U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., have pushed back on these assertions. But lawmaker frustrations with FEMA’s institutional effectiveness remain, a sentiment shared by the incoming administration. After Friday’s visit, Trump went as far as to say he was reviewing the whole concept of FEMA itself, suggesting that states might be better served by a state-by-state approach to emergency response.

What’s the context? The trip to North Carolina comes as Republicans in Congress struggle to determine how best to streamline government spending and bureaucracy while also providing aid to disaster relief efforts that will likely require federal funding. Questions about possible strings attached for further aid to wildfires in California have promoted backlash from Democrats.

Congress most recently funded FEMA to the tune of $29 billion at the end of December through a short-term spending bill.

Dig deeper: What exactly led Republicans to think there was an issue with FEMA in the first place? Where is this criticism coming from? You can read more on that through Addie Offereins’ reporting in the wake of Helene.