DHS scraps Noem policy requiring secretary's review of all contracts above $100K

CBS News
April 1, 2026
3 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

DHS eliminated Secretary Noem's requirement to personally approve contracts over $100,000, speeding up procurement decisions.

How This Affects You

Faster DHS contract awards could accelerate hiring and infrastructure projects you depend on, though it reduces direct oversight of federal spending.

AI Summary

The Department of Homeland Security has scrapped a policy implemented by Secretary Kristi Noem that required her personal review and approval of all DHS contracts valued above $100,000. Under that directive, Noem had to personally sign off on thousands of contracts across the sprawling agency, a requirement that significantly slowed procurement processes. The reversal removes a bottleneck that had affected DHS's ability to award contracts quickly and efficiently. The move suggests the department is prioritizing streamlined operations over centralized contract oversight, allowing subordinates to approve contracts within that threshold without secretary-level sign-off. This change could accelerate hiring, infrastructure projects, and vendor agreements across DHS, though it reduces direct secretarial control over agency spending.

What's Being Done

The Department of Homeland Security has rescinded the policy and is now allowing subordinates to approve contracts within that threshold.

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