Trump wants acting FEMA head to have job permanently

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump wants Pete Gaynor, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s acting administrator, to have the job permanently.

Trump says in a statement Thursday that he intends to nominate Gaynor to be the permanent head of the government’s disaster response agency. Gaynor has filled the role on an acting basis since February, when Brock Long stepped down over questions about his use of government vehicles after two years on the job.

The administrator position requires Senate confirmation. Senators previously confirmed Gaynor’s nomination to be the agency’s deputy administrator in October 2018.

Gaynor is a former Marine with experience in emergency management at the local, state and federal level. He recently led the administration’s response to Hurricane Dorian, a Category 5 storm that battered the Bahamas and Carolinas in early September.