Dem
47
GOP
53
For a long, long time, Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall, of Teapot Dome fame, has been the poster child for sleazy Cabinet members. That's probably because Teapot Dome was the biggest political scandal in American history, to that point, and because Fall actually took the fall for the whole mess, and became the first ever Cabinet officer to go to prison for crimes committed while in office.
There have been some pretty godawful Cabinet secretaries since then. Robert McNamara made a mess of the Vietnam War. Earl Butz was an out-and-out racist. Alberto Gonzales was a hatchet man for George W. Bush. And the first Trump administration produced a long list of shady operators, from Tom Price to Ryan Zinke to Bill Barr. We're not so sure that any of them unseated Fall, however, as the Platonic Ideal of corrupt Cabinetry.
These days, with a much less... restrained executive branch, not to mention a president who is all-in on appointing loyal lackeys regardless of qualifications (or lack thereof), we now have a Cabinet member who is making a real run at knocking Fall off his (oil-drenched) perch. That, of course, would be DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. We're not entirely sure what her deal is, actually. Is she just so desperate to hold on to her job that she'll do anything to keep Donald Trump happy? Is she quietly lining her own pockets? Does she actually entertain the fantasy that there are bigger and better things for her in politics? Is she just a True Believer? Could be any of these things.
Whatever is going on, it's gotten so blatant that even Republican members of Congress are getting irritated with Noem. She has been slow-walking contracts they care about and is not easy to communicate with. Their frustration with her is reaching a boiling point. One member (who preferred to be anonymous) said: "You would think a former member of Congress would have more fu**ing respect for the institution she used to serve in." Apparently not.
One senator who does not want to be anonymous is Ted Budd (R-NC). He is furious that Noem is holding up billions of dollars in help to rebuild western North Carolina from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. And it is personally her fault because she issued an order that all expenditures over $100,000 have to be personally approved by her, even if Congress already appropriated the funds. It used to be that only presidents thought they could impound funds. Now even lowly cabinet secretaries think they can do it. Budd has responded to Noem by placing a hold on all nominations for DHS, so none of Noem's high-level appointments can be voted on until he is satisfied.
And North Carolina is not the only state suffering due to Noem's (in)actions. Grants for projects in West Virginia are not being released and the funds to help the Texas Hill Country after the devastating floods there in July are also on hold. A spokesperson for DHS said that the secretary is rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse. In reality, she has no authority to do that. If Congress has appropriated funds for some project, she doesn't get a veto on it. She is required by law to spend the money as Congress directed.
Noem is also too busy grandstanding to attend routine meetings she is expected to attend, for example, the Annual Worldwide Threats Assessment Hearing. One senior GOP aide said: "The view among Republicans on the Hill is Secretary Noem is less interested in doing the blocking and tackling of her day job than she is with promoting herself in taxpayer-funded TV commercials."
Actually, self-promotion is not her only consuming interest. She has another major interest: traveling in style. The Coast Guard just spent $172 million for two top-of-the line Gulfstream jets for her use while visiting devastated sites (FEMA is part of Homeland Security). Here is a photo of a Gulfstream G700, which the company claims has the most spacious cabin in the industry:
After all, when visiting a location wiped out by a hurricane or flood, it is important to impress the victims with how wisely taxpayer funds are being deployed and how officials are vigorously rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse. Leona Helmsley worked in the private sector, but would still be proud of Noem.
For the record, flying commercial on United from D.C. to Los Angeles, round trip, costs about $2,100 first class for the most expensive refundable ticket, including one 70-pound suitcase for clothes and another 70-pound suitcase for makeup. Aides can go cattle class for $600. She doesn't need too much of a security detail because the local FBI office can provide it. If first class on a nonstop United flight is too plebeian for Kristi, chartering a light jet to L.A. runs about $75,000 roundtrip. Supposing she makes one trip a month, this comes to $900,000/year (or less, since not all trips are as far as L.A.). Over a 10-year period, that is $9 million in all, a bit cheaper than the $172 million purchase price for the two Gulfstreams (and why TWO?). And on top of the $172 million purchase price, there are maintenance, fuel, pilots, cabin attendants, etc.
Some members of Congress have taken notice. The ranking members of the House Appropriations Committee and Homeland Security Committee, Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL), sent Noem a letter including this paragraph:
In addition to raising serious questions about your ability to effectively lead an agency whose procurement strategies appear to vary on a whim, the procurement of new luxury jets for your use suggests that the U.S.C.G. has been directed to prioritize your own comfort above the U.S.C.G.'s operational needs, even during a government shutdown. We are deeply concerned about your judgment, leadership priorities, and responsibility as a steward of taxpayer dollars.
And don't forget that we also had an item on Noem last week, about the Hatch-Act-violating video she recorded that blames Democrats for the shutdown, and that is supposed to be played at all U.S. airports (most of them have refused).
Finally, on top of all of this, she is living rent-free in the house intended for use by the Coast Guard's commandant. It sure beats living the good life in Pierre, SD. (V & Z)