Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is terminating a multitude of Federal Emergency Management Agency contracts. This move follows the Department of Government Efficiency’s discovery of billions of dollars mired in waste, fraud, and unnecessary expenditure, according to a report released this week.

The spending under scrutiny included $10.7 million on public safety announcements, $3.3 million for employee marketing, $1.6 million for two workshops, and an excess of $1.2 million for a “conference center concierge”. The Daily Caller, which obtained a sample of the contracts earmarked for termination, also listed brief meeting planning, paperwork shredding, social media recruiting, and diversity programs among the contested contracts.

A FEMA spokesperson voiced their concern, stating, “Any American who opened the books at FEMA and saw their lackluster spending controls and policies would be horrified.” They praised Secretary Noem for her exceptional leadership, crediting her with bringing spending best practices, fiscal responsibility, and mission alignment to an agency that has been labelled as out of control for a significant period of time.

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On Thursday, Noem criticized inefficiencies in federal disaster relief over the past 15-20 years. In a FEMA Review Council meeting, she advocated for reforms to expedite federal support and give states more control over long-term recovery, with the priority being to curtail bureaucratic delays in delivering resources such as emergency aid and search-and-rescue services.

The Government Accountability Office and the DHS inspector general have long been urging FEMA to tighten fiscal controls and streamline disaster aid, citing delays, poor oversight, and waste. The evidence suggests that after Hurricanes Maria and Irma, FEMA lost track of nearly 40% of supply shipments to Puerto Rico, worth about $257 million, and awarded a $156 million meal contract to a one-woman firm that delivered only 50,000 of the 30 million promised meals.

Some FEMA employees were placed on leave this week after signing an open letter complaining about the agency’s leadership. Several staff members also wrote to Congress expressing concern that inexperienced Trump appointees could hinder hurricane response.