unusual times, unusual actions

The federal government is in the news multiple times every week and every day. Today there was a headline about the Secretary of Homeland Security purchasing (I should say the US Coast Guard) two new executive jets to support personal travel for the Secretary, price tag $171M.

Picture is from the NY Times article

But what caught my eye the other day was this headline, FEMA staff sound the alarm on disaster preparedness at rally in front of agency headquarters  Unusual times requires unusual actions. For instance, FEMA employees, past and present protesting in front of their headquarters over the actions taken by the Trump Administration to weaken the organization’s ability to prepare for and respond to disasters. When in the past have you seen something like that?

I do recall the head of a FEMA employee union protesting to the media about the incorporation of FEMA into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), that was way back in about 2001. Now there is draft legislation floating around Congress to make FEMA an independent cabinet agency reporting to the President. That was the organizational alignment under President Clinton.

One other item from the AP story above. The council that was to report out to the President on making recommendations to change FEMA was scheduled to report by October. That deadline has evidently slipped to December, 2025.