Maddow Blog-Questions about FEMA's future grow louder following its latest resignation

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Kristi Noem suggested FEMA’s response to deadly Texas flooding was a model for the future. A resigning FEMA official apparently doesn’t see it that way.

Last week: Kristi Noem says the Texas flood disaster is a model of how FEMA should work going forward.

This week: A senior FEMA official resigns over the agency’s dreadful response to the Texas flood disaster. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-07-22T19:31:27.637Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/questions-femas-future-grow-louder-latest-resignation-rcna220279

Throughout his second term, Donald Trump’s line on the future of FEMA hasn’t left his administration with a lot of wiggle room: As far as the president is concerned, the agency’s days are numbered.....

“What you saw happen in Texas was much more how FEMA will look in the future,” the South Dakota Republican said, as if the federal response to the Texas flooding was so impressive, it had established a model worthy of emulation going forward.

It appears that assessment has not been universally embraced within the agency. CNN reported that the head of FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue branch resigned on Monday.

Ken Pagurek’s departure comes less than three weeks after a delayed FEMA response to catastrophic flooding in central Texas caused by bureaucratic hurdles put in place by the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the disaster response agency. Pagurek told colleagues at FEMA that the delay was the tipping point that led to his voluntary departure after months of frustration with the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the agency, according to two sources familiar with his thinking. It took more than 72 hours after the flooding for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to authorize the deployment of FEMA’s search and rescue network.

......Of course, this wasn’t much of a denial about concerns reportedly voiced by a resigning senior FEMA official

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1. Noem's DHS Slams FEMA Rescue Chief's Resignation As 'Laughable' In Wake Of Texas Flood Disaster

Urban Search and Rescue Chief Ken Pagurek quit over a new policy that led to delays in FEMA's response to the flooding in Texas on July 4, sources said.

Link to tweet

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kristi-noem-dhs-fema-chief-resign-texas_n_6880f8e8e4b0f224cad5cf4b

The Department of Homeland Security slammed FEMA’s former urban search and rescue chief after reports said his recent resignation was due to the Trump administration imposing policies that delayed disaster response to the deadly flood that devastated Texas earlier this month.

Sources familiar with the resignation told The New York Times that Ken Pagurek, who stepped down on Monday, first expressed concerns over the administration’s changes causing disruptions since the start of hurricane season.

Pagurek was especially concerned with a new policy that required Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to personally sign off on contracts or grants for more than $100,00

“This decision was not made lightly, and after much reflection and prayer, it is the right path for me at this time,” Pagurek wrote in a resignation letter obtained by CNN. “I have been continually inspired by the unwavering dedication, unmatched courage, and deep-seated commitment we share for saving lives and bringing hope in the face of devastation.”