DHS Secretary Kristi Noem slashes wasteful FEMA contracts

Billions in taxpayer dollars have been squandered, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is finally cracking down. Under the leadership of Secretary Kristi Noem, DHS is axing thousands of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contracts after uncovering rampant waste and fraud, as the Daily Caller reports. It’s about time someone cleaned house.

DHS, spurred by findings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is terminating contracts riddled with inflated costs, duplicate efforts, and outright fraudulent programs while tightening oversight to prevent future mismanagement.

For years, FEMA’s spending has been a fiscal black hole, with DOGE spotlighting jaw-dropping examples of waste. How does $10.7 million for public safety media deliverables or $3.3 million to nudge employees into filling out a survey sound? Apparently, that’s just another day at the office for FEMA’s budget planners.

FEMA’s spending spree under fire

Then there’s the $1.6 million dropped on workshops for basics like booking venues and drafting agendas — hardly rocket science. Or the $1.27 million for a “conference center concierge” to tidy rooms and tweak audio setups. One has to wonder if FEMA thought they were running a five-star hotel.

Short meetings — some barely an hour long with fewer than 15 attendees — cost taxpayers $645,000, complete with tailored talking points and fact sheets. And let’s not forget the $594,000 for filing and shredding paperwork, because apparently, a decent shredder is worth half a million. These numbers aren’t just eyebrow-raising; they’re downright infuriating.

Even social media recruiting got a $500,000 splash, while $150,000 went to a diversity and employee coaching initiative. “I applied that night, and I actually got a call the next day to do an interview,” boasted Latosha G., a testimonial from the recruiting push. Good for Latosha, but at that price tag, shouldn’t we all get a callback?

Longstanding oversight failures exposed

Watchdogs like the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and DHS’s own inspector general have been sounding alarms for years about FEMA’s sloppy procurement and weak fiscal controls. Billions in waste have piled up, with recovery funds from disasters like Hurricanes Maria and Irma sitting idle for far too long. Meanwhile, nearly 40% of supply shipments to Puerto Rico — worth $257 million — vanished into thin air after those storms.

Disaster response isn’t just slow; it’s glacial, with a 2022 GAO report showing FEMA met its 189-day project target in a mere 14% of cases in one region. And then there’s the $156 million meal contract awarded to a one-woman firm that delivered a pitiful 50,000 meals out of a promised 30 million. Turns out, accountability isn’t FEMA’s strong suit.

The COVID-era Lost Wages Assistance program added another $3.7 billion in improper payments to the tally, while separate audits flagged even more questionable spending. FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program? It’s drowning in $20.5 billion of debt to the Treasury, despite GAO’s repeated warnings about its shaky foundation.

Reforms face resistance at FEMA

Efforts to reform FEMA aren’t new — the Trump administration pushed for accountability, including requiring disaster survivors to prove progress toward permanent housing at monthly check-ins. Goals had to be realistic, pegged to pre-disaster living conditions, but FEMA’s top brass dragged their feet on deeper changes. Old habits die hard, it seems.

Cameron Hamilton, the former acting FEMA administrator, defended the agency’s outdated practices during Secretary Noem’s confirmation hearing, only to be shown the door shortly after. David Richardson has since stepped in as administrator, hopefully with a sharper eye on the bottom line. Change at the top is a start, but will it stick?

A FEMA spokesperson told The Daily Caller, “Any American who opened the books at FEMA and saw their lackluster spending controls and policies would be horrified.” No kidding — most of us would faint at the sight of a $500,000 social media campaign while disaster victims wait for aid. This isn’t just mismanagement; it’s a betrayal of trust.

Kristi Noem’s leadership spurs new hope

Another FEMA spokesperson praised Noem, saying, “Secretary Noem has been an extraordinary leader, bringing spending best practices, fiscal responsibility, and mission alignment to an agency that has run amok for far too long.” That’s a refreshing take, and if Noem can rein in this runaway train, she’ll have earned every bit of that praise. Taxpayers deserve nothing less.

The Daily Caller reviewed a sample of DOGE-flagged contracts, and the waste is staggering — every dollar misspent is a dollar not helping Americans in crisis. DHS’s move to cancel these contracts and boost oversight is a long-overdue step toward sanity. Let’s hope this is the beginning of a leaner, more effective FEMA.

At the end of the day, it’s simple: Actions have consequences, and FEMA’s free-spending days appear to be numbered under Noem’s watch. While some may grumble about cuts to pet projects, most hardworking Americans will cheer the return of common sense to disaster relief. After all, it’s our money — and our safety — on the line.