A new rule on Homeland Security spending rolled out by Secretary Kristi Noem hobbled the federal emergency agency’s response to the devastating Texas floods, according to a new report.
Four officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which falls under the umbrella of the Homeland Security Department, told CNN that a newly introduced requirement for Noem’s signature on any contract and grant over $100,000 delayed their response to the flooding in Texas, where 120 people have died and a further 150 are missing.
“We were operating under a clear set of guidance: lean forward, be prepared, anticipate what the state needs, and be ready to deliver it,” a longtime FEMA official told the news outlet. “That is not as clear of an intent for us at the moment.”
CNN reported that FEMA was unable to move Urban Search and Rescue crews into position when waters started rising on Friday because it needed Noem’s signature, which did not come until Monday.
Texas also requested aerial imagery from FEMA to bolster search and rescue operations, but that was similarly delayed because Noem’s approval was needed for the contract, a source told CNN.
Callers to FEMA’s disaster call center have also been forced to wait longer for a response since Noem’s signature was needed to bring in additional staff, CNN reported.
Multiple FEMA officials told the network that acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson has been given little authority by Noem.
Last month, CNN obtained a memo indicating that all Homeland Security contracts and grants over $100,000 must first be approved by Noem before the funds are released. The memo stated that funding requests must include details such as the mission’s impact, dollar amounts, timeliness issues, descriptions of the supplies or services, and a plan of action.
Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told CNN, “FEMA is shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens.”
“The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades,” she said.
Former FEMA Director Deanne Criswell told The Source with Kaitlan Collins that the new rule could have cost lives.
“What happened, I think, here, is that we couldn’t move, or FEMA couldn’t move those resources in like they normally would, to be on the ground ready once they found out how bad the situation was,” she said. “And you lose time, and that’s time that can cost lives in the end. And so it’s really important for emergency managers to always be proactive and thinking ahead and getting resources in place.”
The post ICE Barbie’s New Spending Rule Delayed FEMA Response to Texas Floods: CNN appeared first on The Daily Beast.
