ICYMI: Rep. Casar, FEMA Whistleblower, and Former FEMA Official Blast Noem After Year of Mismanagement
Rep. Casar: Noem Must Resign or be Impeached
WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, Sabotaging Our Safety was joined by Congressman Greg Casar (D-TX), former FEMA official Jeremy Edwards, and FEMA whistleblower Abby McIlraith in a conversation exposing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s chaotic mismanagement at FEMA. WATCH HERE.
On the call, Congressman Casar called for Secretary Noem to resign or be impeached.
See coverage below:
Texas Public Radio: Democratic Congressman Greg Casar and FEMA whistleblowers call for Kristi Noem to step down or be impeached
Democratic Congressman Greg Casar and FEMA whistleblowers are raising the alarm over Department of Homeland Security’s Kristi Noem and the constant chaos they say she is raising at The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
At a press conference on Wednesday morning Casar said Noem's budget and staffing cuts to FEMA are systematically undermining disaster preparedness, including relief efforts during the Kerrville Flood.
“Secretary Noem delayed search and rescue response by 72 hours to the floods in Kerrville and in central Texas. That is horrifying,” said Casar.
Abby McIlraith is an emergency management specialist at FEMA. She was placed on administrative leave after she and other whistleblowers sounded the alarm about Noem’s actions.
WATCH: ABC Austin: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem criticized over FEMA disaster response
Truthout: Noem Faces More Calls to Resign After Gutting FEMA, Abandoning Disaster Victims
Now, a growing chorus of experts, agency whistleblowers, and members of Congress say Noem has left the U.S. unprepared for disasters by gutting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and impeding the dispersal of federal aid.
“It’s very clear that Secretary Kristi Noem is undermining FEMA’s capabilities and putting the public in harm’s way,” said Abby McIlraith, a FEMA disaster aid manager and whistleblower, in a press call on February 4.
President Donald Trump announced vague plans to phase out the agency early on in his second term. His administration has hampered FEMA through budget cuts, and thousands of staffers have left or been fired as part of a wider gutting of federal agencies.
