Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., took aim at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)arguing that its recent response to multiple deadly storms shows the agency needs to be “completely reorganized.”

“The number one thing that hurts FEMA’s reputation is the fact that so many citizens are denied their applications the first time they go through the FEMA portal. And if they have to go through congressional offices for help…if that should be possible. be the protocol for our citizens to get help from the emergency management agency, then it needs to be completely revamped,” Donalds said during a House Oversight Committee hearing. representatives at FEMA on Tuesday.

Donalds’ comments came during questioning of FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who was pressed by Republican members of the Oversight Committee to provide answers about FEMA’s response to recent storms and accusations that the agency discriminated against supporters of President-elect Trump.

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Rep. Byron Donalds, Republican of Florida, took aim at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), arguing that its recent response to multiple deadly storms shows the agency needs to be “completely revamped.” (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

FEMA has come under fire over the agency’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which made landfall earlier this year in the southeastern United States and caused widespread destruction in several states.

While the agency’s overall performance during the response to the two storms has been at the center of controversy, members of the oversight committee have repeatedly asked Criswell to address the potential “systemic bias” in his response to against Trump supporters.

The questions come after Marn’i Washington, a now-fired FEMA employee, asked emergency responders to leave homes that had signs supporting Trump during the agency’s cleanup and rebuilding efforts. after Hurricane Miltonone incident that Criswell emphasized was singled out in several responses during the hearing.

Oversight committee members repeatedly asked Criswell to respond in his response to the potential “systemic bias” against Trump supporters. (Andrew Harnik/Associated Press)

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“There is nothing in our policies, our training or our information sent to workers in the field, to avoid any home for any reason, and especially not because of political affiliation,” Criswell said in answer to Donalds questions. “This individual’s actions are not representative of the work we do at FEMA.”

But Donalds, whose district was hit hard by Miltonsaid he had “a problem” with the response, pointing to a New York Post report featuring an anonymous FEMA employee who claimed that such discrimination on the basis of political affiliation was a “secret of polichinelle” at FEMA.

Criswell argued that the incident in question had been investigated by FEMA and that an investigation into whether these problems were more widespread was still ongoing, prompting an even fiercer reaction from Donalds.

FEMA has come under fire over the agency’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which made landfall earlier this year in the southeastern United States and caused widespread destruction in several states. (Julio Cortez/Associated Press)

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“You told me at the beginning of this questioning that there was nothing in your policy that would dictate that this happen, and yet you have a manager who was fired, who said this was happening. You have another manager reporting to you… who speaks. to the press that this is happening, but you can’t verify with this committee whether these practices are happening or not,” Donalds said.

FEMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.