Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended her department’s response to th…


Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended her department’s response to the Texas floods in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” disputing a New York Times report that FEMA failed to answer thousands of disaster assistance calls.

Internal agency documents and a source briefed on the issue, reported that FEMA’s call answer rate dropped from 99.7% on July 5 to 15.9% by July 7, shortly after four call-center contracts were not renewed. According to the documents, FEMA received 16,419 calls on July 7 and answered 2,613.

Noem rejected the report, calling it “false reporting, fake news.” She did not provide alternative data during the interview but stated that the claims were inaccurate.

She also defended a new policy that requires her personal approval for any contract over $100,000, saying it ensures better oversight and fiscal responsibility. When asked whether that policy may have delayed FEMA’s response, she said, “It’s not extra red tape.”

The added layer of approval created delays during a critical period. However, Noem maintained that the policy was not responsible for any disruptions in service.


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