As FEMA finds itself under fire for its mishandling of disaster relief funding, a recently resurfaced 2023 webinar has sparked fresh outrage. The discussion focused on shifting FEMA’s approach from helping the greatest number of people to prioritizing “equity,” sparking criticism that the agency has strayed from its core mission in favor of pushing progressive social agendas.

The webinar, held in March 2023, featured a range of participants from faith-based organizations, non-profits, and government agencies, all singing from the same politically correct hymn sheet. Emergency Management Specialist Tyler Atkins set the tone by lamenting that disasters disproportionately affect the LGBTQ community, suggesting that FEMA’s policies should be recalibrated to account for these “compounding” disadvantages. Atkins’ comments might play well at a social justice rally, but do they really serve the urgent needs of disaster victims across the board?

People are suffering from a real disaster and FEMA is paying the salary of this he/they who conducts “a twice monthly webinar series that discusses climate change, equity, professional readiness, and FEMA programs.”

“Equity” means the elevation of ideology and incompetence. https://t.co/aUbSe6LKEh

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 7, 2024

Perhaps the most telling moment came when Maggie Jarry of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) pointed out the ongoing shift in FEMA’s philosophy. She highlighted a move away from “utilitarian principles” — the common-sense approach of prioritizing the greatest good for the greatest number of people — towards what she called “disaster equity.” This approach aims to prioritize aid for communities deemed to be “underserved” or historically disadvantaged, rather than simply focusing on the most efficient allocation of resources.

This all comes at a time when the Biden administration and its allies, like Senator Elizabeth Warren, have been loudly advocating for an “equity adviser” within FEMA to ensure that disaster aid is distributed with social justice in mind. Warren has argued that the nation’s poorest communities and communities of color are the hardest hit by extreme weather, so they should be first in line when federal aid is handed out. Her rhetoric has been echoed by Vice President Kamala Harris, who last year suggested that “equity” would guide the distribution of disaster relief as Hurricane Ian ravaged the East Coast.

So, what does all this focus on “equity” really mean in practical terms? FEMA’s “Achieving Equitable Recovery: A Post-Disaster Guide for Local Officials and Leaders” from November of last year lays it out pretty plainly. The guide was designed to help local officials rebuild their communities “equitably,” meaning with an eye toward social factors like race, income, and identity, rather than sheer need or the scale of devastation.

“Now I work as a Training Manager in the Office of Resilience managing our Resilient & Ready Seminar Series, a twice monthly webinar series that discusses climate change, equity, professional readiness, and FEMA programs.” 🤦‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/Bq5nyYWjnW

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 7, 2024

Meanwhile, as FEMA’s bureaucrats engage in these ideological exercises, actual disaster relief efforts appear to be in a state of disarray. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently faced a barrage of criticism for admitting that FEMA doesn’t have the funds to make it through the hurricane season. “We are expecting another hurricane hitting. We do not have the funds,” he said on October 2nd. But then, almost as if scripted for a dark comedy, a DHS Inspector General’s report revealed that FEMA is actually sitting on more than $8 billion in unspent funds. That’s right—billions of dollars untouched while hurricane victims are left struggling to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.

This disconnect between FEMA’s public pleas of poverty and the reality of its unspent billions paints a stark picture of either incompetence or a blatant misdirection of priorities. Critics argue that the agency’s focus on social justice initiatives and “equity” is pulling resources away from immediate disaster response efforts. And when Mayorkas made those comments, it was before Hurricane Milton was even upgraded to a Category 5 beast barreling towards Florida, while the Southeast is still reeling from the deadly aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which has already claimed more than 220 lives across six states.

Critical race and gender theory spell disaster for any institution that adopts them as an operating ideology, especially an institution that is tasked with solving real problems in the physical world. FEMA should not be turned into a college humanities department. https://t.co/2WBhQAXCgJ

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 7, 2024

The real kicker is FEMA’s assertion that there’s “been a lot of misinformation about FEMA’s assistance programs.” But who’s really spreading the misinformation here? If FEMA is so committed to providing aid “regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, identity, or background,” then why all this talk about equity over efficiency? While they insist on pushing these woke talking points, the facts on the ground tell a different story: unspent funds, botched responses, and communities left to fend for themselves.