WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) called for a formal investigation into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem’s catastrophic failure to respond to the devastating flooding in Central Texas that killed over 130 and left over 170 still missing. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) also signed on to the letter.
“As new details about the disaster continue to emerge, we are deeply concerned that a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy adding bureaucratic red tape needlessly delayed FEMA’s response to the crisis and caused preventable loss of life and suffering,” the Senators wrote in a letter to DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari.
Typically, FEMA prepares for emergencies by proactively placing personnel and resources in advance of a disaster and deploying search and rescue teams immediately. However, reporting suggests the administration did not take several of these steps.
The delays appear tied to a recent directive from DHS Secretary Noem requiring her personal approval for all FEMA contracts, purchases, and grants over $100,000. In large-scale emergencies, this policy effectively blocks FEMA from acting quickly, even when lives are on the line.
“Not only does this added red tape directly contradict the Administration’s stated goals to cut waste and save taxpayer dollars, but it also threatens to delay critical, lifesaving work,” the Senators continued. “As a result of this misguided rule, FEMA unnecessarily delayed deployments of critical resources.”
In addition to the bottleneck caused by Secretary Noem’s policy, FEMA staffing cuts further undermined its emergency response efforts. Nearly two days after the flooding, the agency reportedly failed to answer two-thirds of the calls to its disaster line because hundreds of call center contractors had been fired.
“The American people deserve answers and more importantly, they deserve accountability. While we are still waiting for all the facts to come out, what is clear is that FEMA must be able to respond to disasters immediately, which did not happen in Texas,” the Senators concluded. “To that end, we demand that your office initiate a full formal investigation into FEMA’s response to the Texas floods.”
Read the full letter HERE.
7/14/25