FEMA administrator says responsibility must shift to states

from the Oregon Department of Emergency Management and staff reports

The Trump administration tossed another wrench into state and local budgets with the announcement Tuesday that FEMA funding will be cut and that states must prepare to handle most disasters without federal help.

The Oregon Department of Emergency Management requested budget had expected over $232 million in federal funding for the public assistance program.

The news site POLITICO obtained a recording of FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton delivering remarks Oct. 20 at the annual forum of the National Emergency Management Association.

POLITICO reported that on the recording, Hamilton said states must have the financial reserves and abilities to start recovery efforts immediately, without being slowed by the federal disaster declaration process.

Many of Oregon’s emergency management officials were at the conference when asked to respond to the administrator’s remarks. Given the rapid growth in the department over the past few years, we also asked: Did Oregon see this day coming? OEM responded:

“The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) became a cabinet-level, standalone agency in 2022 after decades of operating within other agencies. The 2020 Labor Day fires and the COVID‑19 pandemic highlighted the need for a better resourced agency to coordinate statewide efforts before, during, and after disasters and to strengthen Oregon’s overall resilience.

“OEM leads statewide integrated, effective response and recovery operations. Since 2020 we’ve managed 31 large-scale, multi-jurisdictional incidents including the 2020 fires and COVID response, eight of which have received federal disaster declarations where the state led in partnership with FEMA region 10.

“Since its elevation, the department has worked to build the programs necessary to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate emergencies. Recent organizational and program updates reflect this long-term effort to improve state emergency management and support a ready and resilient Oregon. These updates have been in development over time and are occurring alongside, but not in response to, proposed federal changes.

“As Oregon assumed a larger share of the financial responsibility for disaster recovery —and as communities express a need for faster cleanup support—Oregon identified the need for state-level, state-funded Public Assistance and Individual Assistance programs.

“The administrative rule, OAR Chapter  461, for guiding these programs was created during the 2026 legislative session and went into effect in May. Though they were not funded at this time, we are hopeful that this major step will position the state to respond more quickly and adapt effectively to any future changes at the federal level, ensuring Oregon can continue to make full use of federal disaster funding as it continues to evolve.”

The FEMA administrator’s remarks may require a quick update to the OEM’s proposed budget. For the public assistance program, the current 2027-2029 Agency Request Budget includes only $353,000 from Oregon’s general fund, while expecting $232.2 million in federal funds.