FEMA came under fire Wednesday as lawmakers questioned the agency’s readiness and response to recent natural disasters during a tense hearing on Capitol Hill. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee grilled Acting Administrator David Richardson about communication breakdowns, delayed responses and internal strain — following the deadly floods in Texas and resignation of FEMA’s top search and rescue official.
Some lawmakers focused on bureaucratic bottlenecks, including the requirement for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to approve any disaster-related spending over $100,000.
“To me, having someone, one person only having to sign off on every $100,000 or more is the definition of bureaucracy,” said Rep. Laura Friedman. “In this case, it led to thousands of victims not having their calls answered by their government.”
Richardson pushed back on the criticism, defending FEMA’s performance and denying any failure.
“The majority of the calls were answered. There was never a lapse in contract,” said Richardson. “I can’t see anything that we did wrong, and I think the president and the secretary acknowledge that — and so does Governor Abbott by saying how well we did.”
Still, lawmakers suggest more oversight could be coming as hurricane season intensifies.
