North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis accused Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of violating federal law by restricting disaster aid in ways that he said has blocked hurricane recovery efforts in his state.
Tillis, a Republican who is not seeking reelection this year, assailed Noem’s oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday.
“You failed at FEMA,” he said.
As Noem began addressing one of his complaints, Tillis interrupted, saying, “No. You can finish after my 10 minutes are done, and I will hold the clock until I finish.”
Tillis questioned Noem over a policy she imposed last year to review any FEMA expenditure of $100,000 or more, saying it was holding up disaster aid to North Carolina residents who are trying to rebuild from Hurricane Helene, in 2024, and two earlier hurricanes.
“People are hurting in western North Carolina from the most significant storm they’ve ever experienced,” Tillis said, referring to Helene.
“I have reason to believe you’re violating the law, either knowingly or unknowingly,” Tillis said after reading a federal law that he said prohibits a homeland security secretary “from restricting or diverting resources” from FEMA’s mission.
