Senate Confirms Cameron Hamilton to Lead FEMA as Agency Faces 1,000-Plus Disaster Declarations
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Aug 7
Senate Confirms Cameron Hamilton to Lead FEMA as Agency Faces 1,000-Plus Disaster Declarations
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Aug 7
Summary
Friday’s confirmation makes Cameron Hamilton FEMA’s first Senate-confirmed administrator of Trump’s second term, returning him to the agency after he was ousted as acting chief in May 2025.
Hamilton takes over during an active disaster period: the Atlantic hurricane season is underway, Spokane, Washington, has been hit by devastating fires, and FEMA is managing more than 1,000 open disaster declarations.
His return follows Kristi L. Noem’s ouster as homeland security secretary and a broader reshuffle at the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA.
He inherits a diminished agency whose future remains uncertain after losing thousands of staffers, including senior veterans, amid repeated leadership turnover and low morale.