By Ted Hesson and Nathan Layne WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday defended FEMA's response to deadly floods in Texas last week, saying her agency acted swiftly and that Texas officials had praised the administration's actions.

A New York Times report found thousands of calls to FEMA went unanswered after the Department of Homeland Security laid off call center workers.

The Homeland Security secretary, who oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency, struggled to defend the administration's response to Texas floods