Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has denied a New York Times report that claims the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ignored most emergency calls during the recent deadly floods in Central Texas.
According to the Times, FEMA allegedly failed to respond to almost two-thirds of distress calls. These floods have so far claimed at least 129 lives, and around 160 people are still missing.
Noem appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday and strongly disagreed with the report. “It’s just false,” she said. She criticized the timing and nature of the claims, adding, “It’s discouraging that during this time, when we have such a loss of life and so many people’s lives have turned upside down, people are playing politics. The response time was immediate.”
She argued that the media coverage was unfair. Noem described FEMA’s efforts as exceptional, saying it was “the best we’ve seen out of FEMA and the federal government in many, many years—and certainly much better than what we saw under Joe Biden.”
Critics Blame Cuts and Bureaucratic Delays
Despite her defense, some critics have accused Noem of weakening FEMA’s ability to respond by cutting costs. One of their major concerns is the layoff of hundreds of call center employees. CNN also reported that new regulations, which require the Homeland Security secretary to approve any contract or grant over $100,000, caused delays in sending out search and rescue teams.
Noem rejected those criticisms too. She questioned the source of the information, saying, “I’m not sure where it came from. The individuals who are giving you information out of FEMA, I’d love to have them put their names behind it because anonymous attacks to politicise the situation are completely wrong.”
Noem Stands By FEMA and Signals Future Changes
Noem has already faced past backlash for her handling of immigration enforcement and is often mocked by critics who call her “ICE Barbie.” Now, her approach to the flood crisis is also being questioned.
Still, she stood by FEMA’s response and suggested that changes are underway. “The president recognises that FEMA should not exist in the way that it always has been,” she explained. “It needs to be redeployed in a new way, and that’s what we did during this response.”
She emphasized that FEMA wasn’t the only agency involved in rescue and relief operations. “It’s not just FEMA that can respond in these situations. The federal government has all kinds of assets, and we deployed them,” she added.
