Noem to be DHS Secretary
This is not official, but all over the news on Tuesday, “South Dakota Gov. KRISTI NOEM will be President-elect DONALD TRUMP’s pick for DHS Secretary.”
What does this mean for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)? If the past is any indication of the future…little. The only time I’ve seen a Department of Homeland Security Secretary take an interest in FEMA was when Hurricane Katrina became an abject failure in the public’s eyes. Then Secretary Chertoff had to become engaged.
In my watching DHS since its inception, the secretary has been focused on three priorities: The border, the border and the border. Given the priorities of the incoming administration, I expect those three priorities will remain the same going forward.
I do not know what influence the secretary might have on the selection of a FEMA Administrator. At this point in watching the appointments announced to-date, loyalty to Donald Trump appears to be a significant discriminator in being selected or discarded as reported by credible news sources.
