All posts tagged "Disaster Aid"

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) went off on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and criticized her handling of FEMA disaster relief during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday.

Noem was testifying before senators when Tillis gave his statement, eviscerating Noem's leadership and expressing his disappointment about her decisions regarding the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions, including the deaths of American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti. He argued that Noem had disappointed him and specifically expressed concerns about how she has handled the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"What we've seen is a disaster under your leadership," Tillis said. ...

A bipartisan group of senators held a secret meeting this week to try and stop President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from interfering with and destroying FEMA, according to reports Thursday.

The disaster relief agency has been targeted by the Trump administration and the meeting on Tuesday aimed to build bipartisan support to reshape the office, Politico reported.

Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) organized the meeting and said there was mounting concern over the potential structural changes, especially after Trump signaled the agency was too slow to responding to disasters. Other members of the administration, including Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have also said they want to decrease federal funding for state disaster aid....

The new head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency greeted his staff Friday with an aggressive promise to "run right over" anyone who doesn't get with his program, according to a new report by Reuters.

"Obfuscation, delay, undermining. If...you think those tactics and techniques are going to help you, they will not, because I will run right over you," David Richardson said during an all-hands call. "Don't get in my way... I know all the tricks."

Richardson, a combat veteran who previously served with DHS's office for countering weapons of mass destruction, was appointed to replace acting FEMA chief Cameron Hamilton....

President Barack Obama early Wednesday signed into law a stopgap measure to fund the US government through November 18 after US lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the bill.

WASHINGTON — US lawmakers on Tuesday approved a stopgap measure to fund the US government through November 18, sending the bill to President Barack Obama to sign into law.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the House of Representatives regrouped Friday to approve a must-pass spending bill, but the prospect of a government shutdown loomed as Democrats said it would go nowhere in the Senate.