New DHS chief dumps Kristi Noem's move that left disaster victims waiting weeks for help

The Department of Homeland Security has reversed a controversial policy requiring secretary approval for all contracts above $100,000, eliminating a bottleneck that delayed thousands of federal contracts and hampered disaster relief efforts.

Secretary Markwayne Mullin rescinded the directive put in place by former Secretary Kristi Noem in June, CBS News reported Wednesday. The move inserted her office into routine procurement decisions across all DHS components, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

DHS said in a statement that Mullin "re-evaluated the contract processes to make sure DHS is serving the American taxpayer efficiently."

"Today, the Secretary rescinded the $100,000 contract review memo," DHS said. "This will streamline the contract process and empower components to carry out their mission to protect the homeland and make America safe again."

Contracts over $25 million still require secretarial review. Mullin previously declared he is "not a micromanager" during his confirmation hearing, signaling his preference for delegating authority to agency heads rather than centralizing control.

"We will have a very clear line of communication with every one of our agencies' heads on their authority that you gave to them within their parameters, and we'll discuss," Mullin said, "but we're also going to be very responsible for the taxpayer dollars."

Congressional Democrats had found that Noem's approval requirement had delayed or left pending over 1,000 FEMA contracts by September, with an average processing time of three weeks. The delays particularly impacted disaster response functions following the July Texas floods and Hurricane Helene, slowing housing inspections, temporary sheltering, crisis counseling and aid distribution.