Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has issued a directive requiring the DHS to review and approve all contracts and grants exceeding $100,000, the Federal News Network reported Wednesday.
Details of Kristi Noem’s Memo
According to the memo released by Noem, winner of the 2025 Wash100 Award, proposals submitted for her consideration should have all the significant details, such as “mission impact, dollar values, description of the supplies or services, any timeliness issues and a description of the proposed action.” She also asked that submissions for obligations over $100,000 be submitted in memo form through the Executive Secretary process. Noem emphasized that there is a minimum five-day period for reviewing all contracts and grant awards. The memo also mentioned that the new directive replaces the earlier one requiring her to approve expenditures over $25 million.
DHS Directive’s Anticipated Workload
The DHS secretary’s office should expect to handle over 5,100 contract actions during the federal quarter. This figure is based on data from the last three fiscal years.
“Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS is rooting out waste, fraud, abuse and is reprioritizing appropriated dollars,” said a spokesperson for the DHS.
