WATCH LIVE: FEMA, TSA nominees testify in confirmation hearing before Senate Homeland Security panel

By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-fema-tsa-nominees-testify-in-confirmation-hearing-before-senate-homeland-security-panel Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH LIVE: FEMA, TSA nominees testify in confirmation hearing before Senate Homeland Security panel Politics Jun 17, 2026 8:59 AM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Cameron Hamilton, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is facing questions from senators Wednesday as he seeks to run an agency roiled by the administration's threats to dismantle it. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee meets at 9 a.m. EDT. Watch live in our video player above. Hamilton led FEMA briefly last year until he was fired after defending its existence. His nomination comes as the Republican administration has increasingly signaled it is backing away from promises to dismantle an agency that has been heavily criticized by the president. READ MORE: Trump nominates Cameron Hamilton to lead FEMA, a year after he was fired from the role Hamilton was named temporary head in January 2025, just days before the president floated the idea of "getting rid" of FEMA. Hamilton had never been a state or local emergency management director and had himself publicly criticized FEMA in the past. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Once on the job, he said he was concerned about threats to abolish the agency. At a House hearing last year, he said he did not "believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate" FEMA. He was fired the next day. If confirmed, Hamilton would be the principal adviser to Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on emergency management. FEMA is part of the Department of Homeland Security. He would be FEMA's first permanent administrator in Trump's second term. The agency has gone through four temporary leaders, including Hamilton's brief tenure from in 2025 from January to May. Hamilton would take over an agency still reeling from Kristi Noem's turbulent leadership at DHS. FEMA's workforce has been worn down by mass staff departures, policies that hamstrung operations and a protracted DHS shutdown. Hamilton will need to ensure that FEMA is prepared for summer disaster season, while answering to Trump, who is likely to expect major changes after a council he appointed recommended sweeping moves at the agency. Among the other Trump nominees being considered at the hearing Wednesday is David Cummins for the Transportation Security Administration . A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now