Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem abruptly left the House Committee, citing a need to attend a council meeting to address reform of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) referred all queries to them.

Georgia receives $1 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency funding for storm recoveries and pandemic response efforts as Trump administration looks to revamp FEMA.

It was the first appearance of a Trump administration official before the House Homeland Security since Garbarino took over in July.

Noem’s office said she did not learn her afternoon meeting had been canceled until 25 minutes after she left the House committee meeting

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified Thursday at a House hearing on global threats facing the U.S. However, she spent a lot of time on several contentious exchanges with Democrats over immigration.

House Democrats pushed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for answers on the Trump administration's immigration operations, with one lawmaker confronting her with a veteran who he said had been issued a removal order.

Her appearance veered into a referendum on her leadership at DHS amid mounting public scrutiny of the department’s hardline immigration enforcement tactics.

Rep. Tim Kennedy confronted DHS Secretary Kristi Noem over $134 million in Urban Area Security Initiative funding cuts for New York City during a heated hearing.