Florida Democratic Rep. Moskowitz a top contender to lead FEMA for Trump
By Steve Contorno and Kristen Holmes, CNN
(CNN) — Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat, is a top contender to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Donald Trump’s administration, two people with knowledge of the president-elect’s consideration told CNN.
Another person close to the Trump transition team confirmed Moskowitz is in the mix.
It was not immediately clear if Moskowitz and Trump had met yet to discuss the role, but several people described the congressman as a strong candidate to get the post. If appointed, he would be the highest-ranking Democrat in the Trump administration.
Moskowitz did not immediately respond to a voicemail.
Since Trump won in November, Moskowitz — first elected in 2022 — has taken a notably friendlier approach to the incoming administration than some of his Democratic colleagues. He was quick to offer praise on social media when Trump tapped another Florida native, Susie Wiles, as chief of staff. Moskowitz has a close relationship with Wiles from their time working in Florida politics, a source familiar with the dynamic told CNN.
He is also the first Democrat to join the recently created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) caucus in Congress, a group formed around billionaire Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s mandate from Trump to cut government spending and regulations.
Moskowitz was recently elected to serve a second term in the US House, where he represents Broward County. Last year, Moskowitz introduced legislation to make FEMA a Cabinet-level post that reports directly to the president.
It would not be the first time Moskowitz served in a Republican administration in a similar capacity. Under Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Moskowitz spent two years as the director of Emergency Management, leading the state recovery for Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm that tore through the Panhandle in 2018, as well as the state’s Covid-19 response.
In the private sector, Moskowitz previously worked as the general counsel and vice president of business development for AshBritt Environmental, a disaster response contractor.
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