WASHINGTON (WCAX) – Facing ongoing concerns about FEMA’s sluggish response to flooding this summer, Vermont Senator Peter Welch has introduced a bill that seeks more transparency at the federal agency.
Welch’s FEMA Operational Transparency Act would audit FEMA and recommend ways to reduce the agency’s administrative costs.
In a letter last month to FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell, the Vermont congressional delegation said high staff turnover and other inconsistencies are slowing down Vermont’s flood recovery process, with many towns and individuals still waiting on reimbursements. They also called on the agency to pass more responsibilities to local officials in impacted communities.
Reporting by Vermont Public found that as of this spring, FEMA had administrative costs of over $78 million but had distributed only about $43 million in individual assistance to victims of the 2023 flooding in Vermont.