President Trump intends to nominate Cameron Hamilton to run the Federal Emergency Management Agency after he was pushed out as acting leader nearly a year ago, according to two people briefed on the matter.
Mr. Hamilton, who has limited disaster management experience, is a former Navy SEAL who worked for a defense contractor and ran unsuccessfully for Congress in Virginia before taking over FEMA.
Mr. Hamilton was ousted from that position after he told members of Congress that the agency should not be eliminated. Mr. Trump had said early in his second term, “I think we’re going to recommend that FEMA go away.” But when Congress pressed him on the agency’s future in a hearing last May, Mr. Hamilton contradicted that outlook.
“I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Mr. Hamilton said on May 7.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did Mr. Hamilton.
Mr. Trump has not yet formally nominated him for the role, and as with all personnel matters, aides caution that Mr. Trump could change his mind before officially announcing Mr. Hamilton.
His nomination could raise concern among emergency managers because of a federal law passed after Hurricane Katrina requiring that the FEMA administrator carry extensive experience managing disaster response.
Mr. Hamilton previously worked as an emergency management specialist in the State Department and as a division director in the Department of Homeland Security, where he managed emergency medical technicians on the southern border.
He would take over an agency that has lost thousands of employees since Mr. Trump took office, and whose future has appeared in flux as Kristi Noem, the former homeland security secretary, explored eliminating or dramatically reshaping it.
The FEMA administrator must be confirmed by the Senate, but Mr. Trump has not formally nominated anyone for the job in his second term. Three people have led the agency on an acting basis over the past year, including Mr. Hamilton.
But Markwayne Mullin, who was confirmed as homeland security secretary last month, told senators in his confirmation hearing he planned to name a permanent administrator to take over.
Hamed Aleaziz contributed to this report.
Tyler Pager is a White House correspondent for The Times, covering President Trump and his administration.
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