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.

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.