A panel appointed by President Donald Trump to review whether to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency has instead concluded in a report that the agency should be more powerful and autonomous. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem, however, wants to take FEMA in a different direction.

A South Florida congresswoman is claiming her innocence after she was indicted for allegedly stealing millions of dollars in federal emergency funds for her own political campaign.Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick,

David Richardson, who led the Federal Emergency Management Agency for roughly six months, was heavily criticized for his slow response to the deadly July floods in Texas.

David Richardson, who had headed up FEMA as acting chief for almost seven months, reportedly resigned Monday, Nov. 17.

David Richardson's resignation comes amid mounting criticism over FEMA's response to the devastating Central Texas floods in July, which claimed more than 130 lives.

The draft report’s downsizing reflects the Trump administration’s push to disengage the federal government from disaster management and the agency overseeing it, FEMA, pushing more responsibility for preparing, responding to and recovering from climate on states, tribes and territories.

A panel convened by President Trump is said to have rejected the president’s idea that the agency should “go away.”

Fla., said that the federal indictment of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., was "more appalling" than the case against former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., who was expelled from Congress.