UHND.com - Notre Dame Football, Basketball, & Recruiting

untethered by our Constitution and Laws under Donald Trump in spite of bipartisan outrage...severe cuts to FEMA began from the beginning of this administration...as the following summary illustrates...

Would be nice if the GOP Congress would grow a spine and think first about the emergency needs of citizens instead of propping up a wannabe autocrat.

----------------------
AI Overview

As of early 2026, reports indicate that while serving as DHS Secretary, Kristi Noem did not officially eliminate FEMA's budget but implemented a policy requiring her personal approval for all grants, contracts, or disaster awards over $100,000. This, along with reported staff cuts and restrictive measures during a budget impasse, created a significant backlog in disaster aid.

Key findings regarding this situation include:

Approval Policy: A 2025 directive mandated that all FEMA contracts and grants over $100,000 required the Secretary's personal sign-off, causing delays for hundreds of projects.

Backlog & Funding Delays: The policy resulted in a "long line of pending FEMA awards" and stalled billions of dollars in aid for disaster recovery.

Operational Constraints: Reports suggested that while in office, Noem sought to "reduce" the agency, which included reducing staff and restricting travel for FEMA employees. [except for Ms. Noem and her $70M luxury jet...my edit]

Contentious Response: Supporters argued these actions were necessary to address budget constraints and ensure efficient use of funds, while critics claimed they dismantled FEMA's effectiveness.

Reports in early 2026, around the time of her departure, described this period as having the "largest FEMA backlog in history" and "holding up" billions in disaster aid.
-----------------