Homeland Security Secretary Noem Moves to Retain FEMA Staff Amid Disaster Fund Depletion and Calls for Emergency Funding Ahead of Hurricane Season

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who previously advocated for dismantling the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has recently taken steps to retain key FEMA employees and support disaster reimbursements to states ahead of the upcoming hurricane season. Despite public statements about eliminating or reorienting FEMA, internal efforts by career federal workers and Noem have helped maintain the agency's operations for the time being. This shift comes as FEMA's disaster fund faces depletion, prompting calls from lawmakers such as Representative Deborah Ross for the Trump administration to uphold emergency funding commitments, particularly for states like North Carolina that have been affected by natural disasters. The developments reflect a behind-the-scenes effort to preserve FEMA amid concerns over its future and the approaching hurricane season.