The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s acting leader has adamantly defended the federal government’s response to historic flooding in Texas earlier this month, saying lawmakers’ attacks on the agency’s actions were unwarranted.

FEMA Senior Official Performing the Duties of Administrator David Richardson pushed back on complaints from members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as they listed out examples of ways they viewed FEMA had failed in the aftermath of the Kerr County floods that claimed 135 lives, namely, slow response and coordination with state and local authorities.