Lawmakers, law enforcement and industry warn of gaps in World Cup and Olympics preparedness; push for drone authority and grant funding

At a House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology hearing, law enforcement leaders, venue operators and college athletics officials said federal funding shortfalls and limited counter‑drone authority are the most urgent gaps in preparing for upcoming mass gatherings, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Sheriff Donald Barnes, Orange County Sheriff's Department, told the subcommittee that fusion centers and federal grants are central to local preparedness and warned that "we have no national security or Homeland security without local law enforcement efforts." He said fusion centers provide intelligence and situational awareness that local responders rely on during large events and emergencies.

The hearing repeatedly returned to two policy priorities: funding for FEMA grant programs that support planning and intelligence sharing, and clearer, faster authority for addressing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Ranking Member Kennedy said the administration's budget proposes a $646,000,000 cut to FEMA's non‑disaster grant programs and called such reductions harmful to preparedness for major events.

John Janelle, chief security officer at Live Nation…