Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday criticized the inefficiency of federal disaster relief for the past 15 to 20 years, advocating reforms to prioritize immediate federal support and empower states to lead long-term recovery efforts.

Noem emphasized at a meeting of the FEMA Review Council the need to reduce bureaucratic delays to support states with resources such as search and rescue and emergency aid, The Hill reported.

“One of the things I’d like to charge your [council] with is: How long should a disaster be left open?” Noem said. “How quickly should we deploy resources, and then how long can cases continue to be filed?

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