Noem Denies FEMA Delay Amid Contractor Layoffs

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has denied allegations that her policy requiring approval for FEMA contracts over $100,000 delayed the response to deadly Texas floods, maintaining that resources were deployed rapidly and call centers remained fully staffed. However, multiple reports, including from The New York Times, confirm that hundreds of FEMA call center contractors were laid off during the crisis, resulting in a significant drop in call response rates, with only 15.9 percent of calls answered at one point. Noem has dismissed these reports as politically motivated, but internal documents and anonymous FEMA sources suggest that her spending cap policy may have contributed to operational slowdowns. President Trump and Secretary Noem continue to advocate for significant restructuring of FEMA, not its elimination. The controversy has renewed debate about federal disaster response and FEMA's future role. Local officials reportedly praised the initial deployment of resources.