DHS Chief Rescinds Restrictive $100K Approval Process, Aiding FEMA Relief

The move by new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin aims to ease a spending bottleneck that delayed disaster response and recovery funds.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 11:20pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has rescinded a rule implemented by his predecessor Kristi Noem that required DHS expenditures over $100,000 to be personally approved by his office. Critics said the policy undermined the Federal Emergency Management Agency's ability to respond to natural disasters. Mullin's decision is expected to streamline the contracting process and allocate aid more efficiently, though the impacts may not be felt until after the ongoing DHS funding impasse is resolved.

Why it matters

The approval rule created a spending bottleneck that lawmakers and states said delayed disaster response and recovery funds, putting Americans at increased risk from disasters. Mullin's move to rescind the policy is seen as a step toward restoring transparency and stability between FEMA and state/local emergency managers.

The details

Last June, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem issued a directive requiring her personal approval for any DHS expenditure over $100,000. Critics said this rule undermined FEMA's ability to issue contracts and reimbursements well over that amount in its disaster response work. The policy was linked to issues like unstaffed FEMA call centers and delays deploying search and rescue teams during the 2024 Hurricane Helene. A Senate report found the approval rule had delayed at least 1,000 FEMA contracts, grants or reimbursements by September.

  • In June 2025, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem issued the $100,000 approval directive.
  • On March 29, 2026, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin rescinded the approval rule.
  • As of March 2026, about $2.2 billion in FEMA recovery and mitigation dollars were in the DHS approval queue.

The players

Markwayne Mullin

The new Homeland Security Secretary who rescinded the $100,000 approval rule implemented by his predecessor.

Kristi Noem

The former Homeland Security Secretary who implemented the $100,000 approval directive that critics said undermined FEMA's disaster response efforts.

FEMA

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which routinely issues contracts and reimbursements well over the $100,000 threshold and was impacted by the approval rule.

Thom Tillis

A Republican Senator from North Carolina whose state was still recovering from Hurricane Helene in 2024, and who sharply criticized Noem over the FEMA issues.

Michael Coen

The FEMA chief of staff during the Obama and Biden administrations, who said Mullin's move was a step toward transparency and stability between FEMA and states.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We appreciate Secretary Mullin's common-sense approach to this matter, and we look forward to working with him.”

— Josh Morton, President of IAEM-USA

“You've failed at FEMA.”

— Thom Tillis, U.S. Senator

“It's got a great mission, and I think people at FEMA want to do their job.”

— Markwayne Mullin, Homeland Security Secretary

What’s next

Republican lawmakers have signaled an agreement to end the ongoing DHS funding impasse could be reached in the coming days, which would allow the impacts of Mullin's policy change to be more widely felt.

The takeaway

Mullin's decision to rescind the restrictive $100,000 approval rule is seen as a positive step toward restoring FEMA's ability to efficiently respond to natural disasters and allocate recovery funds, though the full effects may be delayed until the DHS funding standoff is resolved.