‘Just False!’ Kristi Noem Fumes Over NYT Report About Unanswered Calls at FEMA After Texas Floods
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem fumed over a report that a massive number of phone calls to FEMA’s call center went unanswered in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic flooding in Texas.
On Friday, The New York Times reported that “nearly two-thirds” of calls to FEMA’s disaster assistance line
were not answered “because the agency had fired hundreds of contractors at call centers.” The Times reported, citing a source and supporting documents, that FEMA fired hundreds of contractors on July 5.
“The next day, July 6, FEMA received 2,363 calls and answered 846, or roughly 35.8 percent, according to the documents,” Times reporter Maxine Joselow wrote. “And on Monday, July 7, the agency fielded 16,419 calls and answered 2,613, or around 15.9 percent, the documents show.”
The report stated that Noem, per a new DHS policy, is required to personally approve expenses over $100,000 and that she did not renew the contracts of the call center contractors until July 10.
Sunday on Meet the Press, NBC’s Kristen Welker pressed Noem on the report.
“Why did it take so long to extend those contracts?” Welker asked.
Noem responded by flatly denying the report.
“It’s just false,” Noem said. “Those contracts were in place.”
“It didn’t take five days?” Welker asked.
“No employees were off of work,” Noem replied. “Every one of them was answering calls, so false reporting, fake news, and it’s discouraging. It’s discouraging that during this time, when we have such a loss of life and so many people’s lives have turned upside down, that people are playing politics with this because the response time was immediate. And if you talk to anyone in Texas that was there, that was a part of this operation, they would say the federal government and President Trump immediately responded.”
Welker followed up — asking specifically about the 84 percent of calls that went unanswered on July 7, according to the Times.
“Just to be very clear, on July 7, 15.9 percent of calls were answered,” Welker said. “I mean, does that concern you that only 15 percent of calls were answered? These are people in a desperate state. FEMA often the first call that they make. Only 15 percent were answered on July 7, several days after the flood.
“These contracts were in place, and those people were in those call centers, and they were picking up the phone and answering these calls from these individuals,” Noem said. “So, that report needs to be validified (sic). I’m not certain it’s accurate, and I’m not sure where it came from, and the individuals who are giving you information out of FEMA, I’d love to have them put their names behind it because the anonymous attacks to politicize the situation is completely wrong.”
Watch above, via NBC.
