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Sen. Ted Budd Lifts Holds On DHS Nominees After FEMA Approves $184M+ For North Carolina

07:14 AM, 12/06/2025

Sen. Ted Budd announced he will lift his remaining holds on two DHS nominees after FEMA approved $29 million in reimbursements for Hurricane Helene recovery in North Carolina. He had earlier released a hold on a third nominee after FEMA approved $155 million for other recovery projects. Budd criticized a policy requiring Secretary Kristi Noem to personally approve FEMA expenditures above $100,000 and said he will keep pushing for final distributions to Western North Carolina. The administration is reviewing FEMA’s role and a reform council is expected to issue recommendations soon.

Sen. Ted Budd Removes Holds Following FEMA Reimbursements

Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) said Friday he will lift his remaining holds on President Trump’s nominees to the Department of Homeland Security after the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved disaster-recovery reimbursements for projects in North Carolina.

Budd had been blocking the confirmations of Sean Plankey, nominated to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Pedro Allende, nominated for the post of Under Secretary for Science and Technology. His announcement follows FEMA approval of $29 million in reimbursements tied to Hurricane Helene recovery work in the state.

Earlier this month, Budd released a separate hold on James Percival, the administration’s nominee for DHS general counsel, after FEMA approved an additional $155 million in reimbursements for other recovery projects.

“I am grateful for Secretary Kristi Noem working with me to more regularly approve reimbursements for Helene and past disaster recovery projects,” Budd said in a statement. He added that more funding remains pending and vowed to keep pressing federal agencies to ensure Western North Carolina receives final distributions and the attention it needs.

Budd first announced his holds earlier this year in protest of an administration policy that requires Secretary Noem to personally sign off on FEMA expenditures above $100,000. The administration argues the rule will reduce waste, fraud and abuse; critics warn it could slow disaster response and recovery.

Speaking to CNN in September, Budd said many routine county projects exceed the $100,000 threshold and argued that centralized, single-person sign-offs are counterproductive: “I just don’t think that’s the way you navigate this. I think there are very competent, even Senate-approved people that can share the load and approve things. Chokeholding this thing or stonewalling states that are hurt by hurricanes is not the way to get rid of waste, fraud and abuse.”

Under FEMA’s Public Assistance Program, the agency awards grants to states, tribes, local governments and certain nonprofits to respond to major disasters, funding activities such as debris removal and infrastructure restoration.

The administration has signaled it may shrink FEMA’s role and has created a review council expected to publish policy reform recommendations soon. Observers say officials appear more likely to trim the agency’s scope than remove it entirely.

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