Congressman Greg Stanton (D-AZ) and five House Democratic colleagues are demanding President Donald Trump fire Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, arguing her first year in office has been marked by emergency management failures that have cost American lives.
The lawmakers sent their letter to the White House on Wednesday, exactly one year after Noem's Senate confirmation. Stanton, who serves on the House subcommittee overseeing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), joined:
- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ)
- Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)
- Troy Carter (D-LA)
- Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.)
- Herbert C. Conaway, Jr. (D-NJ)
According to the congressmen, Noem's leadership has led to inadequate disaster responses across the nation. They point to problems in Texas, California, North Carolina, Hawaii, and several other states as evidence of systemic dysfunction.
The letter takes aim at recently revealed proposals to eliminate more than half of FEMA's employees, as well as staff terminations and expired contracts that have already occurred.
Emergency management professionals have warned that these reductions would severely damage the agency's ability to help Americans during crises.
Continued Criticism
The lawmakers also criticize Noem's policy requiring her personal sign-off on expenditures exceeding $100,000. They say this approach delayed search and rescue operations during summer flooding and allowed a call center agreement to expire, which meant most disaster survivors couldn't reach anyone for assistance.
The congressmen contend these workforce changes break laws enacted after the federal government's botched Hurricane Katrina response, stating: “Congress passed the Post-Katrina Emergency Reform Act (PKEMRA) to strengthen FEMA. PKEMRA held DHS leadership to a higher standard by putting an end to meddling by political appointees in organizational and workforce processes that are foundational to the work that keeps Americans’ safe and secure.”
"Under @Sec_Noem, @FEMA has repeatedly fallen short due to chaos, incompetence, and mismanagement," Stanton wrote separately. "President Trump should fire her and put a qualified professional in charge."
The group warns that without leadership changes, history may repeat itself with tragic consequences. “The American people deserve better,” they concluded.
