Revamping FEMA: A Call for Reform by Kristi Noem

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has called for a complete overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Speaking at a meeting dedicated to FEMA reform on Wednesday, Noem expressed her dissatisfaction with the agency's effectiveness in responding to natural disasters.

Noem's remarks come in the wake of FEMA's deployment to Texas, where personnel are aiding in search and rescue operations after flash floods struck on July 4, claiming the lives of at least 119 individuals, with many others still missing. Although FEMA has provided resources and assistance in Texas, Noem pointed to the agency's past failures to act swiftly in crisis situations.

She stated, 'It has been slow to respond at the federal level. That is why this entire agency needs to be eliminated as it exists today, and remade into a responsive agency.' In contrast, the agency's defenders argue that reform efforts are an attempt by the Trump administration to politicize a critical body vital to disaster preparation and recovery.

(With inputs from agencies.)