Newsom slams ousted Noem over delayed wildfire funding

Only one day after former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was fired from her role, Governor Gavin Newsom called out a policy she implemented that has led to the delay of over $500 million in Los Angeles wildfire recovery funding.

Noem implemented a policy at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where every contract, grant or disaster award over $100,000 required her personal signature. Even after being reviewed by expert staff at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a subdivision of DHS, Noem failed to sign off on over $500 million in emergency funding California requested to help survivors of the January L.A. fires.

“While Kristi Noem poured $220 million of taxpayer money into a political ad campaign featuring herself on horseback, more than $500 million in FEMA funding for L.A. fire recovery sat stalled on her desk,” Newsom said in a statement. “Families in Los Angeles shouldn’t have to wait while she and Donald Trump play politics. Release the funding now and redirect those dollars to help communities rebuild.”

The devastating January fires resulted in 31 deaths, 57,000 acres burned and over 16,000 structures destroyed. California began its recovery efforts almost immediately, with the Legislature and Newsom approving a $2.5 billion recovery package. Federal help, however, has been harder to come by.

The $220 million ad campaign Newsom criticized was commissioned by Noem and featured multiple commercials telling immigrants to self-deport. In one of the commercials, Noem was featured on horseback with Mount Rushmore in the background. President Donald Trump also had a negative reaction to the ad campaign, telling NBC News that he wasn’t “thrilled with it,” and didn’t know about the campaign until after it came out.

Trump announced on March 5 that Noem would be stepping down from her role at the end of the month, shifting to a post as special envoy for “The Shield of Americas,” a brand new security initiative. Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma was tapped to replace Noem as the head of DHS.

Newsom said in the same statement that DHS should redirect any additional funding from the campaign toward the L.A. recovery effort. It is unclear how much money, if any, is left over from the campaign.

A FEMA spokesperson told CALÓ News that “contrary to claims, there are no systemic delays,” and that the agency is actively processing and releasing aid.

“[DHS] remains committed to the FEMA mission of helping people before, during and after disasters while ensuring every tax dollar is spent lawfully and effectively,” the spokesperson wrote via email.

Newsom’s office remains steady in its claims of delayed funding, saying it has caused recovery to stall resulting in damaged facilities, trailheads, roadways and even schools that have not been able to rebuild. 

Noem’s signature policy has also stalled an additional $94 million in hazard mitigation program awards, according to Newsom’s office. FEMA’S Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides funding to local and state governments to reduce risks from natural hazards like wildfires and earthquakes.

These grants have been used in Southern California to reinforce power lines throughout the Valley and retrofit schools to be better equipped to handle natural hazards, among many other projects.

In addition to the funding stalled by Noem, L.A’.s recovery has been further politicised due to Trump’s refusal to help authorize California’s request for $33.9 billion in federal aid to rebuild following the fires. Newsom has requested both Trump’s and Congressional help multiple times.