DHS head Kristi Noem refuted a CNN report that her requirement for personal sign-off on DHS contracts over $100,000 slowed emergency response to deadly Texas flooding.

FEMA officials say Noem took days to sign off on the deployment of resources to assist with the search and recovery efforts.

According to a new report Secretary Noem did not sign off on deploying FEMA’s urban search and rescue team to Texas until this Monday—more than three days after the floods struck. In the meantime, she was on Instagram crowd sourcing opinions about her official portrait.

July 9 (Reuters) - U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called on Wednesday for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be eliminated in its current form, even as the disaster-relief agency deployed specialists and supplies to Texas to help respond to devastating floods.

Noem ordered that every FEMA contract and grant worth that exceeds $100,000 must cross her desk for approval, CNN reported in June. The latest reporting by the outlet insinuated that this rule “stripped [FEMA] of much of its autonomy” during the flood, which raged across at least six counties and killed over 120 people in the early hours of July 4.

Sources have said FEMA wasn’t authorized to launch search and rescue teams until 72 hours after flooding began.

The homeland security secretary slammed a CNN report detailing how a rule she put in place slowed down FEMA's response to the tragedy.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem's voice broke as she recounted her emotional visit to Camp Mystic in Texas.

Republicans, such as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have largely responded to the crisis by demonstrating loyalty to Donald Trump and praising him for his federal aid. However, disgruntled citizens have called out Noem for her performative empathy toward the people in crisis.

S an Antonio anchor Stephania Jimenez fumed Saturday over a press conference that featured Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott thanking each other and President Donald Trump instead of giving immediate updates on the lethal floods in central Texas.

Asked shortly after the disaster whether he still intended to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency, President Trump said it wasn’t the right time to talk about it.