Bureaucrats discuss ditching 'greatest good' for equity in FEMA disaster-planning meeting



The Federal Emergency Management Agency is a Department of Homeland Security outfit tasked with stabilizing and assisting communities after a disaster. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the Biden-Harris agency has come up short, leaving some hard-hit communities to pick up the pieces all alone.

Critics have reviewed possible political factors that may have undermined the agency and its ability to adequately respond to this deadly disaster. After all, the FEMA website indicates the agency's top strategic goal is to "instill equity as a foundation of emergency management" — signaling a possible subordination of utility to ideology.

The X account End Wokeness shared a video Sunday from a March 2023 disaster preparedness meeting indicating ideology has indeed infected FEMA's core considerations.

FEMA emergency management specialist Tyler Atkins — a manager of the Office of Resilience's "Resilient & Ready Seminar Series" who refers to himself as "they" — notes at the outset of the viral video that "LGBTQIA people and people who have been disadvantaged already are struggling. They already have their own things to deal with so you add a disaster on top of that, it's just compounding on itself."

"And I think that is maybe the 'why' of why we're having these discussions," added Atkins, referencing the broader topic of preparedness and mitigation considerations specific to non-straights.

A woman identified on-screen as Maggie Jarry, a senior emergency management specialist at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said, "There are a couple of things intersecting in my mind here. One is the culture of emergency management as an organization, as an industry in the United States specifically, not abroad."

After taking a moment to excuse her cat's interruptions, Jarry noted, "The shift that we're seeing right now is a shift in emergency management from utilitarian principles — where everything is designed for the greatest good, for the greatest amount of people — to disaster equity."

The apparent federal push away from helping the greatest number of Americans to prioritizing help for specific types of favored Americans was driven by the Biden-Harris administration, particularly by President Joe Biden's June 25, 2021, DEI executive order.

According to FEMA:

Underserved communities, as well as specific identity groups, often suffer disproportionately from disasters. As a result, disasters worsen inequities already present in society. This cycle compounds the challenges faced by these communities and increases their risk to future disasters. By instilling equity as a foundation of emergency management and striving to meet the unique needs of underserved communities, the emergency management community can work to break this cycle and build a more resilient nation.

The agency added, "Proactively prioritizing actions that advance equity for communities and identifying groups that have historically been underserved or disproportionately affected by disasters is critical for their resilience."

Disasters and crises, therefore, present federal bureaucrats with opportunities to refashion the country — in their view — into something more equitable.

According to FEMA's 2022-2026 strategic plan, "Diversity, equity, and inclusion cannot be optional; they must be core components of how the agency conducts itself internally and executes its mission."

This apparent obsession with groups' immutable characteristics and sexual preferences would explain why in the same disaster preparedness meeting, Reilly Hirst, a financial management specialist at FEMA, spent time concern-mongering about the possibility that illegal alien transvestites — those for whom Kamala Harris would have taxpayers fund sex changes — might be misgendered in shelters.

Responding to the video, Elon Musk wrote, "Saving American lives should be priority #1."

One user noted, "DEI ideology is a societal scourge."

FEMA is presently working hard to combat what its chief Deanne Criswell has characterized as "dangerous narrative[s]" regarding its bungled hurricane response. It's presently unclear whether it will be similarly vigorous when preparing for and responding to Hurricane Milton, now headed for Florida.

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Biden's FAA nominee folds under Republican scrutiny, withdraws from consideration



President Joe Biden's nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration is reportedly throwing in the towel before breaking a sweat — all because he couldn't handle criticism from Republican scrutineers.

Reuters reported that Phil Washington, the CEO of Denver International Airport, is withdrawing his nomination to serve as FAA administrator.

This decision comes after the Senate Commerce Committee postponed its vote on Biden's nominee, which was originally scheduled for March 29. Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) indicated the vote was delayed in order that senators' requests for further information could first be satisfied, reported CBS News.

While Democrats are up by one member on the committee, 14-13, Cantwell and other Democrats who support Washington are aware that a single independent mind could block his confirmation.

Jon Tester (D-Mont.), for instance, did not indicate how he would have voted. "I don't know that we're even [going to] vote on him, so I didn't even have to take a stand," said Tester.

One source told Reuters that "an onslaught of unfounded Republican attacks on Mr. Washington’s service and experience irresponsibly delayed this process, threatened unnecessary procedural hurdles on the Senate floor, and ultimately have led him to withdraw his nomination today."

Senate Democrats similarly denounced Republican efforts to ensure that only the most qualified candidate gets the job.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) called the Republican holdup a "hatchet job," reported CNN.

"Instead of moving quickly to confirm the president's nominee, Republicans and their allies have tried to delay Mr. Washington's job by attacking him, throwing everything they have to try and stop a qualified nominee, and in doing so they are smearing a longtime public servant," added Schatz.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre similarly believed that Washington "has the qualifications" for the role.

"He has led the Denver International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, managed a large transportation-safety organization, has served as a command sergeant major in the military. This is a role with a key safety mandate," said Jean-Pierre.

The New York Times noted that while Washington is a 24-year Army veteran who has been at the helm of the Denver International Airport since 2021, much of his career wasn't focused on the sky but rather on ground transport.

Washington's dearth of aviation experience prompted some Republicans to question his suitability for the role.

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) noted Washington's "lack of experience in aviation," adding, "This position requires extensive knowledge of the industry in order to ensure the safety and efficiency of the agency and American air travel."

"The FAA has been in the news far too often lately — from the software meltdown of a crucial safety system in January that resulted in the first U.S. ground-stop of aircraft since 9/11 to recent numerous near-misses of airliners on runways," said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said in a March 21 statement. "These incidents are a stark reminder of why it’s essential to have an FAA Administrator with decades of deep and real aviation experience, especially in aviation safety."

"This is not a patronage job, this is an aviation safety job," Cruz pointed out.

"It is frankly irresponsible to entrust the role of protecting millions of Americans who fly in the hands of a person who needs on-the-job training. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what we have with President Biden’s FAA nominee, Phil Washington," added Cruz.

Cruz told Washington in person, "I believe your record is woefully lacking. ... And in fact, you have zero aviation experience. And I don't believe you'll have the votes for confirmation."

Independent Sen. Kirsten Sinema (Ariz.) similarly noted that Washington has "less experience in aviation."

"Aviation experience, as you know, is important to this position. And as you know, the federal law listing the requirements for the FAA administrator states the nominee must have experience in a field directly related to aviation," said the former Democrat.

Extra to Washington's apparent inexperience, Republicans also raised the matter of his entanglement in a corruption case.

While dealing with bus routes and rail lines, Washington got caught up in a scandal concerning how the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority awarded contracts.

A search warrant executed in September cited allegations from a whistleblower that, as CEO of the transit authority, Washington had "pushed forward" sole sourcing for a contract (for a sexual harassment hotline) to the nonprofit Peace Over Violence. The alleged purpose of this favoritism: "to remain 'in good graces'" with one of Washington's direct supervisors, reported CNN.

According to the warrant, "The Witness further stated that Phillip Washington told her directly, that he would rather pay the $75,000, so he could later use that to his advantage when he needed a political favor from … [county supervisor and Metro board member] Kuehl."

Washington maintains that the allegations against him are false.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg confirmed that Washington gave up early, tweeting, "The partisan attacks and procedural obstruction he has faced are undeserved, but I respect his decision to withdraw and am grateful for his service."

WATCH LIVE: Senate confirmation hearing for Phillip Washington as FAA administrator youtu.be

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