DON’T BUY THE SPIN: Kristi Noem Is The Real Threat To FEMA—Not A Government Shutdown

AP: “FEMA could still support winter storm response in a shutdown, despite administration warnings”

Under Noem’s leadership, FEMA has repeatedly blocked and delayed critical aid to disaster survivors

Washington, DC – Kristi Noem and Donald Trump have gutted disaster response since day one, leaving us less safe and completely unprepared for the next climate disaster. Congressional Republicans have enabled them at every turn, and now they’re trying to shift the blame. But let’s be clear: the real threat to communities across the country is DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

FACT: FEMA’s work would not suddenly stop during a government shutdown. It is mandated by law for disaster recovery to continue and due to reimbursement delays from FEMA, there is an estimated $8 billion in FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, which could be tapped into during a shutdown. 

FACT: Any delays in disaster funding making its way to states will be thanks to Kristi Noem’s existing backlog. Secretary Noem has consistently mismanaged FEMA and fumbled the agency’s response to major disasters. As of January 2026, Noem’s requirement for her personal approval on all FEMA expenses exceeding $100,000 had created a $17 billion bottleneck, causing months-long delays in delivering federal disaster funds to states. 

FACT: Noem and DHS leadership redirected over $600 million from FEMA to build migrant detention centers and forcibly reassigned dozens of key FEMA staff to work for ICE on deportations, putting communities at risk from extreme weather.

FACT: Secretary Noem’s mismanagement has caused aid delays in communities across the country – from Missouri, Texas, New Mexico, Alabama, Arkansas, and even North Carolina, where Hurricane Helene recovery continues. 

FACT: States were waiting on more than $1.3 billion in FEMA mitigation grants that had not been approved for declared disasters since March 2025. 

FACT: Parts of FEMA’s response to the deadly July 2025 Texas flooding were delayed by over 72 hours due to Noem’s requirement that she sign off on contracts over $100,000. 

FACT: In the aftermath of the Texas flooding, FEMA missed nearly two-thirds of the calls to the disaster assistance line because the call center contractors had been fired, and it took Noem five days to renew the contracts. 

FACT: Republicans have gutted FEMA under Noem’s leadership. In 2026, the DHS terminated nearly 65 staffers from FEMA’s Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) Teams, which partner directly with state and local officials to support ongoing response and post-disaster recovery. 

FACT: In 2025, DHS drafted plans to cut FEMA’s workforce by more than 50%, resulting in the loss of more than 11,500 jobs. 

FACT: Cuts at FEMA indefinitely blocked nearly $10 billion in FEMA disaster aid for nonprofits working to rebuild and rehouse after climate disasters. 

FACT: Under Noem, FEMA’s $1 billion Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program was canceled, threatening hundreds of resiliency projects in communities nationwide.