meeting cameron hamilton, the fired fema chief who trump has nominated to lead the agency again

(SeaPRwire) –   唐納德·川普總統已提名卡姆登·漢密爾頓領導聯邦緊急事務管理署（FEMA），距離他被解職僅過去一年。

去年一月到五月，漢密爾頓曾擔任該機構 acting administrator，但在他向國會作證表示 FEMA 不應被 dismantle 後不久即遭 removal——而這項提議正是川普與前國土安全部長克莉絲蒂·諾梅所提出的主張。

「作為總統在 disasters 與 emergency management 方面的 senior advisor，以及國土安全部長的顧問，我不認為 dismantling FEMA 符合美國人民的利益。」漢密爾頓於2025年5月7日眾議院撥款委員會聽證會上說道。

此番言論緊接在前一天諾梅 testimony 之後，她在其中 stating 「川普總統從一開始就 very clear：他認為 FEMA 及其對許多情況的回應 failed the American people，且 today 存在的 FEMA 應被 elimination，以便 empower states 在 federal government support 下應對 disasters。」

漢密爾頓是在作證隔日被 firing。

數月後，他 publicly pushed back 對 Trump Administration 處理該 agency 的方式， seemingly responding to a FEMA spokesperson defending the moves by saying it had previously been “bogged down by red tape, inefficiency, and outdated processes that failed to get disaster dollars into survivors’ hands.”

「 stating that @fema 現在運作更 efficient、並 cutting red tape 的行為，要不是 uninformed about managing disasters；就是 misled by public officials；或是 lying to the American public 以支撐 talking points，」漢密爾頓於八月於社群媒體寫道。「FEMA 正在 saving money——這很好，因為美國國債 astronomical 來自 Congress。即便如此，由於新 bureaucracy 的出現，FEMA staff 正面臨 entirely new forms of bureaucracy，延長 claim recipients 的等待時間，並 delaying time-sensitive resources 的 deployment。」

自漢密爾頓 removal 以來，Administration 似乎已放棄完全 abolition FEMA 的計畫，但仍在尋求 shake up 該 agency，並將 disaster preparedness 與 response 的責任大幅 shift toward state and local governments。

若獲參議院 confirmation，漢密爾頓將成為川普重返白宮以來 FEMA 首位 permanent administrator。

去年擔任該機構 acting leader 之前，漢密爾頓 brief 擔任過 FEMA Office of Response and Recovery Associate Administrator， following an unsuccessful run for Congress in Virginia in 2024。

根據國會於去年 his testimony 時分享的 biography，他曾在 Department of Homeland Security（DHS）擔任 Emergency Medical Services Division Director， overseeing thousands of EMTs, first responders, and medical programs operated out of the department，並曾在 State Department Bureau of Counterterrorism 服務 crisis response teams。

漢密爾頓 also served as a Navy SEAL operator for over a decade before his federal government career。

儘管去年他在 congressional hearing 上 defending FEMA 是否應被 abolition，但 prior to being tapped as its acting administrator，他早已批評過該 agency。而在擔任 acting administrator 期間，FEMA 也做出 several moves 引起 current or former staffers 的 concern，包括 moving to eliminate a popular grant program intended to help communities protect against natural disasters；stopping door-to-door canvassing 以與 disaster survivors 對話；以及 initiating a review of disaster relief programs that provide aid to migrants。

此次漢密爾頓將 leadership a smaller agency 比上次 acting administrator 時更小。隨著川普第二任期 broader cuts to the federal government，FEMA workforce 已 mass reductions。

然而，該 agency 現正 move to rehire disaster response staffers who were previously fired， working to “stabilize our workforce and strengthen readiness”—— according to a FEMA spokesperson。

上月，維多利亞·巴頓（Victoria Barton），FEMA Office of External Affairs associate administrator，向 news outlets 表示：「在新 leadership 下，FEMA 正在處理 outstanding personnel actions，確保 workforce stability 並建立 strong, deployable surge force，以因應 upcoming national events 和 potential disasters。」

週四，由川普任命的 FEMA task force 發布了一系列 proposals， outlining goals for the agency moving forward。

總統評估聯邦緊急事務管理署 council 建議將大部分 disaster relief 轉移至 states and localities， while reserving federal assistance deployment for “truly significant events”。但並未 fully calling for elimination，而是 advising that it be “transformed”。

該 task force 寫道：「是時候 closure the chapter on FEMA 了。」“‘FEMA’ as a brand and as an agency was irreparably damaged by the previous Administration’s proclivity to mission creep and endemic program failures。A transformed agency should be established that retains the core missions of FEMA， while highlighting the renewed emphasis on locally executed, state or tribally managed, and federally supported emergency management。」