CALLING ATTENTION TO FEMA WORKFORCE

On 2026-04-21, Representative George Latimer (D-NY-16) delivered a floor speech titled "CALLING ATTENTION TO FEMA WORKFORCE" in the House. The speech addressed labor policy.

CALLING ATTENTION TO FEMA WORKFORCE

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 70 (Tuesday, April 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 21, 2026)] [House] [Page H3027] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CALLING ATTENTION TO FEMA WORKFORCE (Mr. LATIMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the workforce cuts taking place at FEMA. We all remember the images from Hurricane Sandy--Coney Island torn apart in our backyard in the New York area, families climbing onto rooftops to escape rising floodwaters. We remember the lessons of the California wildfires, when entire neighborhoods were crumbled. We remember the parents in Texas who never got to pick up their daughters after a mudslide overtook their summer camp. These are real devastations, not hypotheticals, and they are growing in strength and frequency. Yet, this administration is diminishing the very workforce that is tasked with helping survivors rebuild, even questioning the value of the assistance FEMA provided when people had nothing left. We must urge this administration to protect its essential workforce and pray that no community we call home is vulnerable when the next disaster strikes. ____________________