Texas Flood Crisis: FEMA Response Under Scrutiny Amidst Secretary Noem’s Funding Delays

The aftermath of devastating floods in Texas over the recent Fourth of July weekend has cast a harsh spotlight on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Trump administration’s handling of disaster relief. With at least 120 lives lost, reports from CNN and The New York Times allege significant delays in FEMA’s response, including the slow activation of search-and-rescue teams and critical funding roadblocks.

Sources within FEMA have indicated that the agency’s recovery efforts were hampered by a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule, implemented last month, requiring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to personally approve all agency contracts and grants exceeding $100,000. This policy, which FEMA had previously warned could impede efficient disaster response, is now being blamed for delays in deploying essential support assets.

Specifically, CNN reports that Secretary Noem did not release funding for FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams until more than 72 hours after the floods began on Friday. Despite these accusations, Noem dismissed the reports as “absolutely trash” during a Fox News interview on Thursday. DHS echoed this sentiment, issuing a statement on Wednesday calling the CNN report “a FAKE NEWS LIE,” and asserting that Noem is implementing a “historic, first-of-its-kind approach” to fast-track recovery funds directly to states.

The ongoing criticism comes as the future of FEMA itself remains uncertain. Secretary Noem stated on Wednesday that the agency “needs to be eliminated as it exists today and remade into a responsive agency,” advocating for a state and locally-led approach. This aligns with the Trump administration’s long-standing attempts to scale back or dismantle FEMA, a policy that has previously led to funding delays and denials for other states recovering from natural disasters, including North Carolina and Florida.

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