Trump considers moving FEMA headquarters from DC to Texas
President Donald Trump is considering moving the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency from Washington, D.C. to Texas, according to administration sources who spoke to Politico.
FEMA acting Administrator David Richardson resigned on Monday after six months in the position, and Trump seemingly wants to replace him with Nim Kidd, head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
The problem is, Kidd doesn't want to take the job if he has to leave Texas.
He sits on a Trump-appointed review panel that is expected to recommend the move.
The other problem
Kidd is well-respected and qualified, and is expected to be approved by the Senate if he is nominated by Trump.
He was in the public eye after the July floods that killed at least 130 in Texas, including dozens of young girls at a summer camp.
Richardson had been hard to reach during the flooding, and recent rumors were that Trump was about to oust him when he decided to resign to "rejoin the private sector."
Sources told Politico that moving the national agency to Texas would cause logistical problems in coordinating with DHS, however.
Meanwhile, FEMA chief of staff Karen Evans will be acting administrator.
Or maybe Guthrie
The agency has not had a permanent administrator since Trump took office. Cameron Hamilton ran the agency before Richardson, but was fired in May after a disagreement with Trump over FEMA's importance.
If the agency doesn't move or persuade Kidd to leave his home state, another top candidate for the nomination might be head of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Kevin Guthrie.
Guthrie helped Trump with his immigration policies when he created an immigrant detention site in the Everglades.
Trump has been critical of FEMA during his administration and is seeking to improve its response to emergencies.
Will an entire federal agency move to accommodate one person's preference? I guess we will find out.






