'Hundreds of projects' sit 'frozen' on Noem’s desk after she demands to approve funding

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Washington, DC, January 15, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

When the Trump Administration, with the help of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), was aggressively downsizing a long list of federal agencies, the future of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was very much in doubt. Critics of President Donald Trump feared that FEMA would be eliminated altogether.

A year into Trump's second presidency, however, FEMA remains. Trump appeared to back down from eliminating FEMA.

But according to NOTUS reporters Anna Kramer and Torrence Banks, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is holding up more than $1 billion in "hazard mitigation funds."

In an article published on January 28, Kramer and Banks report, "Since July, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved hazard mitigation grants that cost more than $100,000 in only three states, according to a NOTUS review of publicly available data and internal FEMA documents. The three states to get through the logjam: Georgia, North Carolina and Oklahoma. As of December 31, before the North Carolina and Oklahoma projects were approved, Noem's office was sitting on $1.3 billion in requested funds — all of which had been approved at the regional level, according to documents obtained by NOTUS."

The NOTUS reporters add, "This is the first time the scope of Noem's funding hold on the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program has been reported."

According to Kramer and Banks, "hundreds of projects across nearly all 50 states, four territories and two tribal nations remain stuck at Noem's level elected representatives in 10 states."

Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Washington State) told NOTUS, "Unfortunately, Secretary Noem has virtually frozen FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program."

Michael Coen, who served as FEMA's chief of staff under the Biden Administration, warns that holding up Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds could be dangerous.

Coen told NOTUS, "HMGP is authorized by Congress. The Trump Administration's failure to execute mitigation is reckless and I believe a breach of duty. Lives will be lost during future disasters that could have been avoided. HMGP funding is one of the few tools the federal government has to reduce future disaster costs and suffering."

Read the full NOTUS article at this link.

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