In her first appearance before congressional lawmakers since being confirmed, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday defended President Donald Trump’s plans to make extensive cuts and changes at her agency.

According to The Hill, Democrats on a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee questioned Noem about planned cuts for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

“The president has indicated he wants to eliminate FEMA as it exists today, and to have states have more control over their emergency management response,” Noem said, in response to questioning. “He wants to empower local governments and support them and how they respond to their people.”

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.