Noem defends plans to slice FEMA, DHS programs

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

05/06/25 5:09 PM ET


Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended President Trump’s immigration policies and plans for deep cuts at her agency in her first appearance before lawmakers since being confirmed. Noem, appearing before a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, was grilled by House Democrats over planned cuts for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Trump’s skinny budget proposes $646 million in cuts to FEMA it argues fund “equity” in disaster response and also proposes shuttering the disinformation offices and programs at CISA.

“The president has indicated he wants to eliminate FEMA as it exists today, and to have states have more control over their emergency management response. He wants to empower local governments and support them and how they respond to their people,” Noem said amid questioning from lawmakers. But Democrats defended FEMA over what it called baseless attacks by the GOP.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the committee, said dismantling the agency would mean “the federal government is abdicating its commitment to the American people.” She also raised concerns about grant funding being withheld for political reasons and leaving people “stranded due to political discord.” “With all due respect, where is the evidence of the failure of FEMA,” DeLauro said during an exchange with Noem.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/5286202-noem-defends-trump-immigration-cuts/

[jls4561]

1. But millions for costumes and makeup the from Secretary of Cosplay.

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[Brainfodder]

2. Baked in super obvious BS passing for news is growing ever endlessly skippable?

THEY CAN'T SHOW WEAKNESS!!!!!!!!! EVA!!!!!!!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

3. Madow Blog-Why a Trump-appointed FEMA chief was unexpectedly ousted

One day after acting FEMA chief Cameron Hamilton defended the agency’s existence to Congress, he was kicked out of his job.

It's obviously an insanely busy day, but the firing of the Trump-appointed FEMA chief — a conservative Republican and military vet — is among the more outlandish things to happen in Trump World today. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-05-08T19:24:05.442Z

It's obviously an insanely busy day, but the firing of the Trump-appointed FEMA chief — a conservative Republican and military vet — is among the more outlandish things to happen in Trump World today.

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/fema-chief-fired-cameron-hamilton-trump-rcna205676

In fact, when the president appointed him to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Hamilton actually seemed like one of Trump’s more qualified personnel choices, given his background as an emergency management specialist at the State Department during Trump’s first term and his work as the director of the Emergency Medical Services Division at the Department of Homeland Security.

And yet, Hamilton has been fired anyway. Politico reported:

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was fired Thursday morning, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation. Cameron Hamilton, FEMA’s acting administrator, has told people that he was terminated, leaving the nation’s disaster agency without a top official three weeks before the start of the Atlantic hurricane season and as Congress scrutinizes FEMA’s proposed budget for fiscal 2026.

A Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed Hamilton’s departure to NBC News.

The timing of the developments is striking: Just one day before his ouster, Hamilton testified before a House Appropriations Committee panel and defended FEMA’s existence, telling lawmakers, “I do not believe it is in the best interests of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency.”.....

Oddly enough, the morning after the congressional hearing, Republican Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, wrote online that Hamilton’s leadership at FEMA has been “nothing short of amazing.” Green added, “Since taking the helm at FEMA, thousands of Americans have seen FEMA’s promises fulfilled, from housing to disaster relief. President Trump made the right choice!”

Right around the time the congressman published that message, Hamilton was kicked out of FEMA.

For what it’s worth, a DHS spokesperson told NBC News that Hamilton’s ouster was unrelated to his testimony. Or put another way, the official line is that the firing of the acting FEMA director just one day after he took a public position that Trump didn’t like is a coincidence.

[Donman]

4. WE CAN"T AFFORD A GREAT COUNTRY

If you want a great country everyone needs to pay for it. The only reason we can"t afford a great country is we funnel the money into the arms of wealthy political donors who have bought the government. We have the best government that money can buy. The income inequality in the USA is intolerable. There was a time when taxes on the wealthy helped us build a better country than we have now. It also put a check on some of the income inequality we have today. One way or another, we will get the country we pay for be it better or worse. Remember that little people have contributed to the wealthy through labor and their expenditures. You can't do it alone. So, please don't give us your pap crap that we need to gut the government because we don't have enough money to keep it running. It's not tariffs that will make us great. It's more TAXES on the wealthy that have seen their income grow much faster than almost everybody else in our country.