Dec 2025 – The FEMA Review Council drafts a plan to cut the agency’s workforce by 50 % over two to three years, relocate many staff from Washington, D.C. to field sites, and temporarily rename the agency “FEMA 2.0” while keeping it within DHS; the council schedules a vote on Thursday and will deliver the final report to President Trump for review [2].

Dec 2025 – The draft also proposes a new block‑grant system that would deliver disaster assistance to states within 30 days of a federal disaster declaration, raise aid thresholds and increase state cost‑share, signaling a shift toward faster, state‑led recovery [2].

Nov 2025 – The November spending bill ends the longest‑ever federal shutdown and appropriates $7‑8 billion to FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund for FY 2026, providing a financial cushion for upcoming emergencies [3].

Jan 2026 – An arctic‑air winter storm hits the South and Midwest, knocking out power for hundreds of thousands, causing at least 70 deaths, and prompting FEMA to pre‑position generators in Louisiana and Texas and fund debris removal through its DRF [3].

Jan 2026 – FEMA confirms it will retain roughly $7‑8 billion in the Disaster Relief Fund even if a partial DHS shutdown begins at midnight Friday, ensuring winter‑storm recovery can continue while non‑DRF services such as NFIP policy work would pause [3].

Jan 2026 – Senate Democrats cite the recent killing of a Minneapolis man by a federal immigration officer to demand limits on the administration’s mass‑deportation agenda before approving the FY 2026 DHS appropriations package, raising the likelihood of a shutdown [3].

Jan 2026 – White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warns that a lapse in disaster funding must be avoided while the winter storm persists, emphasizing the need to keep FEMA resources active [3].

Feb 2026 – Internal DHS messages order FEMA to halt all new disaster‑area travel effective Wednesday, standing down about 300 responders while field staff remain on‑site until missions end, a move officials say will delay damage assessments in Florida, North Carolina, Washington and Alaska [1].

Feb 2026 – Former FEMA chief of staff Michael Coen condemns the travel freeze as “amateur hour,” accusing DHS of micromanagement and reckless disregard for communities recovering from FEMA‑supported disasters [1].

Feb 2026 – President Trump pledges immediate action on the Potomac River sewage spill on Truth Social; DC Mayor Muriel Bowser requests a major‑disaster declaration, and Maryland Governor Wes Moore accuses Trump of lying and endangering public health [1].

2026 onward – If enacted, the block‑grant framework from the December 2025 draft will require states to receive federal disaster aid within 30 days of a declaration, fundamentally altering the speed and conditions of federal assistance [2].

2026 onward – The proposed 50 % workforce reduction will be phased in over two to three years, moving many employees to field locations as part of the “FEMA 2.0” rebranding effort [2].