Texas flood response

Noem fights criticism of FEMA management in Texas flood response

“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, that people are playing politics with this,” Noem told NBC's Kristen Welker.

By Gregory Svirnovskiy

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem forcefully pushed back on suggestions that her leadership left the Federal Emergency Management Agency less prepared to handle the flooding that hammered Texas Hill Country in early July.

“It’s discouraging, 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, that people are playing politics with this,” Noem told NBC’s Kristen Welker in an interview airing Sunday on “Meet the Press.” “Because the response time was immediate. And if you talk to anyone in Texas that was there, that was a part of this operation, they would say the federal government and President Trump immediately responded.”

The former South Dakota governor has faced criticism for a policy requiring her sign-off on FEMA expenditures over $100,000. She told Welker the measure was “an accountability on contracts that go forward,” but experts say it hampered the disaster response.

And a New York Times report Friday found that the agency laid off hundreds of call center contractors in the middle of the crisis July 5. After answering well over 99 percent of the calls coming its way on that day, FEMA responded to just 35.8 percent and 15.9 percent of calls over the following two days, respectively. Noem finally renewed the contracts five days after they first lapsed, the Times reported.

Noem characterized those findings as fake news — and pushed for the publication’s anonymous sources to reveal themselves publicly.

“I’m not certain it’s accurate, and I’m not sure where it came from. And the individuals who are giving you information out of FEMA, I’d love to have them put their names behind it,” she told Welker. “Because the anonymous attacks to politicize a situation are completely wrong. These emergencies need to be conducted exactly how President Trump handled this one.”

FEMA is facing an uncertain future with President Donald Trump back in the Oval Office. The president has suggested eliminating the beleaguered agency. Last month, he mused about weaning states off FEMA and previously cut off billions in funding for disaster preparedness. But he’s praised the agency’s efforts in the wake of the Texas floods.

Noem told Welker that Trump does not want FEMA to cease operations, but she said he recognizes “it should not exist the way that it always has been.”

“I think he wants it to be remade so that it’s an agency that is new in how it deploys and supports states,” Noem said.