When she can’t take the heat, puppy slayer Kristi Noem runs from the hearing. After getting caught in a lie to Congress about deporting veterans, the Homeland Security Secretary claimed she had to duck out of a said hearing early to chair a FEMA council meeting. Interestingly enough, according to Rep. Jared Moskowitz, that meeting was canceled. Whoops.
Secretary Noem informed those present that she needed to depart in order to chair a meeting of the FEMA review council. However, Moskowitz later stated that he was told the meeting in question had been canceled.
“Noem said she had to go chair the FEMA review council meeting. BUT I’m told that meeting was canceled,” Moskowitz said.
The conflicting accounts immediately drew attention, particularly given the importance of the DHS committee hearing and the sensitive nature of FEMA oversight. The abrupt departure, combined with the report that the meeting was not happening, left some lawmakers and observers seeking clarification about why the Secretary left and whether another obligation prompted her exit.
It’s not every day a cabinet-level official walks out of a critical oversight hearing with a story that immediately collapses like a folding chair at a FEMA drill. Noem told the room she had urgent FEMA business to attend to. Then Rep. Moskowitz checked the schedule and found out the meeting wasn’t happening. The only emergency is Noem’s lack of credibility.
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Anyone remember when lying to congress was considered a crime?