Republican North Carolina senator releases block on DHS nominees following approval of FEMA funds for his state

Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) announced on Friday that he would remove his remaining holds on President Trump's nominees to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the department's approval of disaster recovery funds for North Carolina. Budd had placed holds on two nominees: Sean Plankey, chosen to head the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Pedro Allende, nominated to be the under secretary for Science and Technology.

This decision comes after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) authorized $29 million in reimbursements for recovery projects in North Carolina related to Hurricane Helene. Previously, Budd had lifted his hold on James Percival, who was nominated as the agency's general counsel, after FEMA approved an additional $155 million for disaster recovery.

In a statement released on Friday, Budd expressed his appreciation for Secretary Kristi Noem, noting that their collaboration led to more frequent approvals of reimbursements for the Helene recovery efforts. However, he emphasized that further funding approvals were still needed.

Although I have lifted my holds on DHS nominees, I will continue to work with all relevant federal agencies to ensure that Western North Carolina gets the attention and resources it needs, especially regarding the final distribution of funds to local governments and agencies in urgent need of financial assistance, Budd stated.

Budd had first announced his holds earlier in the year, criticizing a policy that required Noem to personally approve any expenditure over $100,000. This policy, supported by the Trump administration, is said to save taxpayer money, but its critics argue it delays recovery efforts following disasters. Budd expressed concern over this during a CNN interview in September, pointing out that nearly every item in the affected counties exceeded $100,000, and questioned the efficiency of the policy.

Choking the process or obstructing states that have been affected by hurricanes is not an effective way to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, Budd said.

FEMAs Public Assistance Program provides grants to support disaster response efforts by states, tribes, local governments, and some non-profits. These grants cover activities such as debris removal and infrastructure restoration. The Trump administration has taken a critical stance towards FEMA, with discussions around scaling back the agency's role. Although there were talks of eliminating FEMA entirely, it is now expected that its function will be reduced rather than completely dismantled.

In the near future, a policy review council set up by the administration is expected to release recommendations for reforming FEMAs operations.

Author: Natalie Monroe