Senate Confirms New FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton

Key Takeaways

On August 7, the U.S. Senate passed an en bloc legislative package to confirm several presidential appointments to federal agencies, including Cameron Hamilton as the new administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL, previously served as the Senior Official Performing the Duties of FEMA from January 2025 to May 2025. 

In his Senate Confirmation Hearing, Hamilton expressed his desire to “ensure that FEMA is objective, is fair and reasonable, follows the law, and is consistent” in its administration of disaster relief funds. Hamilton also pointed to recent staffing increases at FEMA in recent months to counteract dramatic agency cuts over the past few years.  

Hamilton will be tasked with overseeing the implementation of the president’s FEMA Review Council, which proposed significantly shifting the cost and responsibility for natural disasters onto county and state governments. 

What Does This Mean for Counties?

County governments are the on the frontlines of all disaster recovery efforts. We rely on close collaboration with FEMA to deliver quick and effective aid to the communities that need them. Hamilton’s confirmation is an important step in re-establishing FEMA’s importance and coordinating disaster relief efforts across the country. 

Should Hamilton work to implement the recommendations from the FEMA Review Council, counties could face less federal support in the case of most disasters, including increased expectations for local disaster recovery capability, increased cost qualification thresholds to receive FEMA funds and decreased federal on-the-ground presence following a disaster. These changes could particularly harm small and rural counties who do not have the capacity to deal with the increasing threat from natural disasters. However, many of these recommendations would not become requirements without an act of Congress.

Read More About the Recommendations Here

Take Action

NACo continues to be in conversation with FEMA and the administration to ensure county voices are represented and centralized in disaster recovery reform.

In the meantime, counties should continue to advocate to their federal delegations to advance the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act (H.R. 4669) – a bipartisan bill that awaits a floor vote in the House. This bill would modernize and simplify disaster assistance application paperwork, provide upfront access to disaster relief funds and strengthen intergovernmental partnerships during disaster mitigation, response and recovery.

Read More About the FEMA Act Here