Naples Standard

Congressman Byron Donalds, who has been serving in the U.S. Congress representing Florida's 19th district since 2021, expressed concerns over recent issues involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through a series of tweets. Donalds, born in Brooklyn and currently residing in Naples, Florida, called for accountability and changes within FEMA's operations.

On November 19, 2024, Congressman Donalds posted a reminder that "Trump supporters are Americans too." He criticized an incident at FEMA, stating that "political preference should never determine whether you receive disaster relief from the federal government."

Later that day, Donalds highlighted allegations against FEMA workers who were "instructed to avoid providing disaster relief to Trump supporters." He demanded transparency by calling for FEMA to release all communications between supervisors and management. He emphasized the need for accountability to ensure such actions do not recur.

In another tweet on November 19, 2024, Donalds addressed the complexity of the FEMA portal for residents of Florida. He stated that "it's so burdensome that most first-time applicants get denied." The congressman urged a revamp of the system to focus on assisting people rather than denying coverage due to bureaucratic red tape.