This represents a significant backlog at the emergency management agency, which provides funding that both helps communities prepare for disasters and assists with short- and long-term recovery.
This is in line with a figure reported last week by an "Alt-FEMA" Substack newsletter. The newsletter's inaugural edition earlier this year was signed by an anonymous FEMA employee "on behalf of the Alt-FEMA Editorial Team."
The $900 million figure gives clues about how Noem's policy of personally approving all major expenditures that cost $100,000 or more is actually playing out.
The policy, which applies to the entire Department of Homeland Security — not just FEMA — is one that has received significant scrutiny, especially at the high-profile disaster agency that has found itself in the Trump administration's crosshairs.
"Holding up that much money will be adversely affecting recovery in states across the country," said Michael Coen, who was FEMA's chief of staff during the Obama and Biden administrations.
He added that the agency's grants — which are subject to Noem's review — can fund things like debris removal and repairs to infrastructure like schools, roads and bridges.
A FEMA spokesperson did not directly address The Hill's question about whether $900 million in grants and loans were awaiting Noem's review. Instead, the spokesperson said that "since taking office, Secretary Noem has reviewed more than 5,000 contracts and reviews all contracts within 24 hours."
The spokesperson said Noem's process has saved taxpayers $10.7 billion.
Noem's review policy was one of the chief complaints from employees who signed the Katrina Declaration, a letter saying the Trump administration's FEMA policies were weakening disaster response.
The group of current and former employees wrote that the policy "reduces FEMA's authorities and capabilities to swiftly deliver our mission," including during deadly Texas floods earlier this year, "when mission assignments were delayed up to 72 hours."
Read more at TheHill.com.
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