Overview

• Noem has stood by her June 11 memo requiring her sign-off on any FEMA spending over $100,000 and denied that it slowed federal aid to Texas victims.
• Democratic lawmakers led by Rep. Jared Moskowitz and Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal have called for formal investigations and potential hearings into DHS’s role in the response.
• Reporting by CNN and The New York Times shows Urban Search and Rescue teams waited more than 72 hours for approval and FEMA call-center contracts lapsed July 5–10, driving answer rates below 16%.
• The Trump administration says it will “remake” FEMA into a leaner, state-led disaster response agency rather than eliminate it, even after cutting a third of its workforce.
• Former FEMA officials and disaster experts warn that centralized approval controls and staff reductions risk undermining the agency’s capacity for future emergencies.