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To: IC720 who wrote (1547419)	7/11/2025 8:03:24 AM
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INCOMPETENT CRIMINAL POS Kristi Noem Faces Investigation Over FEMA's Response to Texas Floods Published Jul 11, 2025 at 2:42 AM EDTUpdated Jul 11, 2025 at 5:03 AM EDT newsweek.com Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz has called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be investigated over the Federal Emergency Management Agency's response to catastrophic flooding in Texas. "As a former Emergency Management Director of Florida, I am alarmed by reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) response to the Texas floods was delayed and hampered by a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 'cost-control' policy imposed by Secretary Kristi Noem," Moskowitz wrote in a letter to the top lawmakers on the House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Thursday. "If accurate, this represents a major deviation from long-standing FEMA protocol that may have slowed down lifesaving efforts and contributed to the tragedy's severity." Newsweek contacted the Department of Homeland Security and a spokesperson for Moskowitz for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours on Friday. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on July 8, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia Kent Nishimura/Getty ImagesWhy It MattersThe July 4 disaster has killed at least 120 people and authorities are searching for more than 170 missing people. Deployment of critical FEMA resources were delayed due to a recently enacted rule that requires every purchase, contract and grant over $100,000 to be personally approved by Noem, according to reporting by CNN and the The Washington Post, which cited unnamed current and former FEMA officials. The DHS said Noem did not need to initially authorize additional FEMA resources because the department used other DHS search and rescue assets. President Donald Trump has pledged to scrap the federal agency in charge of disaster relief and return disaster response to the states. Experts have warned that dismantling the agency completely would leave gaps in crucial services and funding. What To Know Read more Kristi Noem Dad's Final Voicemails During Texas Floods Revealed Texas Flooding Update: Kerrville Mayor Calls Press Conference a 'Disaster' Texas Flooding: Drone, Helicopter Collide Amid Search and Rescue, City Says Trump Administration Ends 25-Year Migrant Protections for Two Countries Moskowitz wrote in the letter that the new DHS "cost-control" policy's threshold of $100,000 is "almost meaningless" in "the context of disaster operations." "As a result, this policy stripped FEMA of its ability to act in real time and delayed every mayor aspect of the response." He pointed to CNN's reporting that Urban Search and Rescue teams were not pre-positioned as the disaster unfolded. He also noted that the report noted that only 86 FEMA personnel had been deployed by Monday night—three days after the floods began and a day after President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Texas. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told CNN that Noem did not need to initially authorize additional FEMA resources because the department used other DHS search and rescue assets. She said that as the need for FEMA resources arose, those requests were approved by Noem. "FEMA is shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens," McLaughlin said. Moskowitz added in the letter that "perhaps most troubling is that, even as FEMA scrambled to respond to the deadly Texas floods, Secretary Noem has seemingly doubled down on her plan to dismantle the agency." Noem made said at a meeting of the FEMA Review Council, which has been charged with reforming and streamlining the country's emergency management on Wednesday that FEMA needs to be "eliminated as it exists today." What People Are SayingJared Moskowitz wrote in his letter: "As someone who has managed disasters at the state level, I have long believed that FEMA's placement within the DHS slows the agency down and burdens it with unnecessary bureaucracy. FEMA's mission is unique and requires speed and focus, not the red tape that comes with being part of a larger department. Secretary Noem's actions have only made FEMA slower at the exact moment we needed it to act quickly." He added: "I urge the House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure to fully investigate FEMA's response to the Texas floods. Congress should examine what happened, address any failures, and make sure FEMA has the ability to respond effectively to future disasters." Kristi Noem said during Wednesday's meeting: "Federal emergency management should be state and locally led, rather than how it has operated for decades. It has been slow to respond at the federal level. It's even been slower to get the resources to Americans in crisis and that is why this entire agency needs to be eliminated as it exists today, and remade into a responsive agency." She wrote on X on Thursday: "The immediate disaster response was swift and efficient. DHS assets, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Border Patrol, and FEMA personnel surged into unprecedented action alongside Texas first responders. This was a historic, first-of-its-kind approach to disaster funding: putting states first by providing upfront recovery support — moving money faster than ever and jump starting recovery." Asked if Trump was reconsidering his plan to shutter FEMA, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday: "The president wants to ensure American citizens always have what they need during times of need. Whether that assistance comes from states or the federal government, that's a policy discussion that will continue." What Happens NextTrump is set to visit Texas on Friday for a firsthand look at the devastation caused by the flooding.