Spectrum News by Reuben Jones
The bill would prohibit a new policy that requires the Homeland Security secretary to personally approve money allocated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that exceeds $100,000.
In June, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem began requiring her personal review and approval of any contract above $100,000, including for disaster response. Prior to that policy FEMA had final approval authority, without needing submissions to be personally approved by the head of DHS.
Since then, numerous concerns have been raised about the slow speed at which FEMA money has arrived to western North Carolina.
“We have local governments that have appropriated more money, or spent more money than their annual budgets, and they aren’t getting reimbursed. And this is for disaster assistance that Congress approved a year ago,” Ross told Spectrum News.
Concerns were also reportedly raised regarding the agency’s response in Texas.
“Their disastrous approval process has created unnecessary challenges and delays for communities still trying to recover and rebuild their lives over a year after Hurricane Helene devastated our state,” said Ross in a statement. “It’s clear that Congress needs to take action, and this deeply misguided policy needs to be reversed.”
A spokesperson for Homeland Security called the proposal "mindnumbingly dumb."
“The mental gymnastics an individual must do to come to the conclusion that less oversight of congressionally appropriated funds is a good thing truly boggles the mind," the spokesperson said. "Instead of siding with her constituents, the taxpayers, Rep. Ross looks to unshackle unelected bureaucrats from answering on where tax dollars are spent. Thanks to the leadership of Secretary Noem, FEMA is swiftly directing taxpayer funds directly where they are needed most, not to bloated political pet projects.”
The FEMA Administrative Reform Act is cosponsored by U.S. Reps. Alma Adams, Valerie Foushee and Don Davis, all North Carolina Democrats.
While the bill doesn’t have Republican cosponsors yet, there have been bipartisan concerns with FEMA in recent months.
Sen. Ted Budd, a North Carolina Republican, recently had put a hold on DHS nominees in the Senate until FEMA money arrives to western North Carolina. And when asked by Spectrum News in the fall whether he had confidence in Noem, Budd said “until we get western North Carolina back up and running I’m not satisfied with anything.”
But Ross said more action is needed.
“I’m glad that Sen. Budd has used his power in the Senate to help, but that’s a one-time deal,” Ross told Spectrum News. “We need a permanent solution. And this solution isn’t just for North Carolina, it’s for every state in the country that is suffering.”
Budd recently lifted his hold on DHS nominees and in response to the introduction of the bill, Christian McMullen, a spokesperson for Budd, told Spectrum News in a statement that “Sen. Budd has worked extensively with the Trump administration and Secretary Noem to break through bureaucratic hurdles that were slowing the flow of aid to state agencies and WNC municipalities in desperate need of financial relief. Sen. Budd will continue to engage to ensure reimbursements for Helene and past disaster recovery projects are being approved and disbursed without needless delay.”
The concerns about the speed of FEMA money allocation have come as President Donald Trump’s FEMA Review Council does a review of the agency. The report is expected to suggest major changes to the agency that Trump has heavily criticized.
Spectrum News has reached out to DHS for a statement on the new legislation.
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2025/12/16/fema-kristi-noem-helene-storm