FEMA Administrator William "Brock" Long listens in 2017 as Elaine Duke, acting secretary of homeland security, speaks to reporters outside the White House about hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. The FEMA administrator has an unusual role. FEMA is part of Homeland Security, so Nielsen was Long’s boss, but a FEMA administrator simultaneously has authority to offer advice directly to the president during disasters. This competing chain of command contributed to the friction between Nielsen and Long, several current and former administration officials said. The FEMA official said Long’s reputation remained strong among FEMA staffers, many of whom believe he was forced out by Nielsen’s office.

Source: Washington Post February 13, 2019 20:33 UTC