DHS secretary says FEMA will be reformed, cites predeployment in Texas flood response

Secretary Neal said the administration is "fundamentally reforming" the Federal Emergency Management Agency and described steps intended to speed federal support to states. He cited response work in Texas as an example, saying the department predeployed funds and assets, including Coast Guard and Border Protection teams, to speed rescue and recovery operations.

Neal said the department "predeployed dollars right to Texas so that they could make the best decisions responding to their people," and described a desire for states to be "empowered" to act quickly in emergencies. He said FEMA under the administration will not be the same "bureaucratic" agency that people have experienced in the past and suggested the agency could be renamed as part of broader reform.

He stressed that emergencies are "locally executed" and "state managed," with the federal government in a supporting role. Neal said the department prepositioned helicopters, swift-water rescue teams and other assets and invoked BORTAC — a DHS tactical group — as part of the response he described. He said the administration will continue to rely on state and local officials because "they know their communities best."

Reporters pressed Neal on whether FEMA itself would be eliminated; he said FEMA "will cease to exist the way that it is today" and that changes would emphasize faster, more direct support and training for state and local emergency managers.

Ending: Neal urged local preparedness during hurricane season and said DHS would continue to support states and localities while reforming federal disaster response.