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How Sec. Noem Is Paying DHS With Big Beautiful Bill Funds During Shutdown
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Kristi Noem. The DHS secretary is pulling funds allocated from July's Big Beautiful Bill to keep USCG, CBP, ICE, others paid

The Department of Homeland Security has begun using funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to pay Coast Guard and law enforcement personnel during the ongoing government shutdown, Roll Call reports. Homeland Security Secretary and 2025 Wash100 Award winner Kristi Noem said her department found an “innovative solution” that repurposes funding from the reconciliation package signed on July 4.

Sec. Noem is delivering an in-person keynote address at the 2025 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 12. This essential all-day GovCon networking event will cover top DHS tech priorities like AI and cyber. Register now to learn how you can partner with CISA, ICE, CBP and more!

According to Roll Call, the $24.6 billion allocated to the U.S. Coast Guard—initially intended for cutters, aircraft and shore facility construction—has been temporarily redirected to ensure service members receive their paychecks. The department appears to be relying on existing transfer authority provisions that let DHS move up to five percent of funding across accounts, bolstered by the multi-year flexibility built into the One Big Beautiful Bill, which makes most funds available through fiscal 2029.

How Is DHS Using Big Beautiful Bill Funds During the Shutdown?

How Sec. Noem Is Paying DHS With Big Beautiful Bill Funds During Shutdown

Noem announced on X that Coast Guard paychecks scheduled for Oct. 15 would be delivered on time, despite the lapse in appropriations that began Oct. 1.

“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the One Big Beautiful Bill, the brave men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard will not miss a paycheck this week,” she wrote.

Federal News Network said that DHS expanded the workaround beyond the Coast Guard, ensuring pay for more than 70,000 federal law enforcement officials across Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Secret Service and federal air marshals. Those employees, the outlet reported, will receive a “super check” by Oct. 22 covering back pay, overtime and their next full pay period.

A DHS spokesperson told Federal News Network that the One Big Beautiful Bill “will ensure these 70,000 employees will be having their pay covered during the Democrats’ government shutdown.”

Fiscal Context

In a parallel move to Noem’s decision, the Trump administration also directed the Defense Department to use $8 billion in unspent R&D funds to pay active-duty service members. President Donald Trump said on X that OMB’s plan was to “pay the troops, pay law enforcement, continue the RIFs, and wait.”

Unions expressed mixed reactions. NTEU President Doreen Greenwald told Federal News Network the payments were “welcome news” for CBP officers but did not cover other DHS employees, while AFGE representatives warned that continued uncertainty was harming morale and veterans’ mental health.

Roll Call also reported that the law’s text contains “fairly flexible instructions” on how certain DHS funds may be spent—language that could permit the department to apply appropriations for Coast Guard and law-enforcement salaries even without explicit new transfer authority.

What Does DHS Big Beautiful Bill Usage Mean for GovCons?

For government contractors, Noem’s efforts underscore the budget elasticity of the One Big Beautiful Bill. The same multi-year funding that allowed DHS to continue payroll could also support critical mission contracts in financial management, payroll systems and continuity-of-operations planning.

This reprogramming sets a precedent for how DHS might sustain essential operations during future funding gaps—creating potential demand for GovCons specializing in budget execution support, auditing and fiscal compliance consulting.

The One Big Beautiful Bill, Noem said, ensures that DHS “can defend America’s borders and missions without interruption.” For GovCons, that flexibility signals a funding environment where adaptability is as valuable as capacity.

Don’t miss your chance to hear from an all-star lineup of influential DHS decision-makers, including Sec. Noem and CISA Chief Information Officer Robert Costello, at the 2025 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 12. Save your seat before they sell out!

How Sec. Noem Is Paying DHS With Big Beautiful Bill Funds During Shutdown
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Senate Bill Seeks to Advance Nuclear Fuel Recycling Research
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Capitol Hill building. Senators Ted Cruz and Martin Heinrich proposed the Advancing Research in Nuclear Fuel Recycling Act.

Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., have introduced a bill aimed at advancing domestic nuclear fuel recycling research and assessing the potential benefits of recycling spent nuclear fuel.

Cruz’s office said Friday the proposed Advancing Research in Nuclear Fuel Recycling Act of 2025 directs the Department of Energy to study the benefits, costs and risks of recycling spent nuclear fuel, particularly in comparison to interim storage solutions.

What Will the DOE Study on Nuclear Fuel Recycling Examine? 

Under the legislation, the DOE would examine historical and current challenges to nuclear fuel recycling in the U.S., identify barriers to new recycling projects and provide policy recommendations to address the challenges to recycling spent nuclear fuel.

“Spent nuclear fuel has the potential to dramatically increase America’s energy, economic, and national security. Domestic recycling can reduce the space we need for spent nuclear fuel, enhance energy independence, reduce our dependence on imports, and broaden the supply of rare elements and isotopes used in medicine and advanced technologies,” Cruz said.

“Recycling solutions will also reduce the burden on individual states from nuclear waste accumulation, and accelerate progress on nuclear energy, which is our nation’s cleanest baseload energy source,” the senator added.

What Nuclear Industry Leaders Are Saying About the Senate Bill?

Nuclear tech companies, such as Curio and Oklo, and the Nuclear Energy Institute have expressed support for the bipartisan Senate measure.

Curio CEO Ed McGinnis said spent nuclear fuel is a valuable energy resource that can enhance U.S. energy security and support advanced nuclear technologies.

“Thoughtful, science-driven approaches to recycling spent fuel are critical to unlocking that potential and ensuring the U.S. remains at the forefront of nuclear innovation,” McGinnis added.

Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo, stated that the proposed bill recognizes fuel recycling as a strategic pathway to strengthen domestic energy supply chains.

“Oklo is continuing to advance its own recycling initiatives, including plans for a commercial fuel recycling facility aimed at turning waste into a reliable domestic fuel source for its Aurora powerhouses,” he noted.

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Trump Administration Announces Critical Minerals, Defense Deals With Australia
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White House. The U.S. and Australia signed agreements to drive innovation and defense cooperation.

The Trump administration announced a series of agreements with Australia to drive innovation, advance defense capabilities and strengthen supply chain cooperation.

How Will the Critical Minerals Framework Strengthen Supply Chains?

The White House said Monday President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a Critical Minerals Framework that will unlock more than $3 billion in joint investments over the next six months.

The critical mineral projects, with recoverable resources estimated at $53 billion, are designed to improve supply chain resilience and support global energy security.

The Pentagon will fund the construction of a 100-metric-ton-per-year gallium refinery in Western Australia, aiming to boost self-sufficiency in processing critical minerals.

How Are Defense Investments Reinforcing AUKUS Alliance?

According to the White House, the Australian government is making defense investments to deepen its defense cooperation with the U.S.

Australia has committed to procuring $1.2 billion in Anduril-built unmanned underwater vehicles, $2.6 billion in Apache helicopters, as well as contributing $2 billion to help expand the U.S. submarine industrial base. The country is also investing $2 billion in U.S. companies for its Joint Air Battle Management System and advancing its Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance enterprise.

The deals are part of efforts to strengthen the Australia-U.K.-U.S., or AUKUS, trilateral security partnership to help counter future threats.

What Will US-Australia Technology Cooperation Deliver?

To drive innovation, technological leadership and economic growth, Australia’s superannuation funds will reportedly increase investments in the U.S. to $1.44 trillion by 2035, generating tens of thousands of U.S. jobs.

The White House also highlighted progress in other sectors, including expanded market access for U.S. beef exports to Australia and a NASA-Australian Space Agency framework agreement, which will support lunar exploration through the Artemis program.

The agreements also include a Technology Prosperity Deal designed to promote joint investments in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and other critical technologies.

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Alford, Scholten Introduce Bipartisan AI for Main Street Act
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U.S. Capitol. Reps. Mark Alford and Hillary Scholten have introduced the AI for Main Street Act.

Reps. Mark Alford, R-Mo., and Hillary Scholten, D-Mich., have introduced the AI for Main Street Act, a bipartisan bill that mandates the Small Business Administration’s Small Business Development Centers, or SBDCs, to guide small enterprises through the selection and integration of AI technologies.

How Will AI for Main Street Act Help Small Businesses?

According to a press release from Alford’s office Monday, the legislation seeks to expand guidance, training and outreach to ensure entrepreneurs can effectively integrate AI into their operations. The proposed bill leverages prior programs like America’s SBDC AI U to scale AI assistance nationwide.

Bipartisan Bill to Bridge AI Gap Between Large & Small Businesses

According to Alford, the expanding use of AI presents both opportunities and risks. He emphasized that large corporations with the financial and human capital to invest in AI help boost AI development and adoption. However, small businesses on “Main Street” are being left behind.

“That’s why we’re introducing the AI for Main Street Act to provide small businesses with the resources, education and training needed to utilize artificial intelligence,” said Alford.

“As AI creates new industries, reshapes old ones and redefines the skills people need to succeed, this bill will make sure small businesses aren’t being left behind,” stated Scholten.

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OPM Launches Effort to Establish Governmentwide HR System to Boost Efficiency, Cost-Savings
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Office of Personnel Management's logo. OPM has issued a Federal Human Resources IT Modernization request for proposals.

The Office of Personnel Management has launched an effort to consolidate the 119 separate human capital management systems in use across various agencies with a single, governmentwide platform that would simplify operations, eliminate redundancy, drive efficiencies and cost-savings, and provide a better view of federal workforce information.

In a blog post, OPM Director Kiran Ahuja invited industry to submit proposals for a core HCM system that could transform how the government manages its talent pool.

Why Does OPM Want a Governmentwide HCM System?

According to Ahuja, having separate HCM systems per agency limits transparency and efficiency. She explained that none of the 119 HCM systems are interoperable with one another, preventing agencies from accessing consistent and accurate employee information.

For instance, OPM personnel will need to coordinate with HR staff from multiple agencies to assemble a “golden file” of a retiring employee’s work history.

The lack of a core HCM system also means that the government does not have a single resource for how many positions are in an organization, how much employees are paid per sub-department and other workforce information.

Moreover, Ahuja revealed that the government spends about $5.5 billion annually across the 44,000 HR professionals it currently employs. She stated that HR professionals must focus on their core missions rather than navigate outdated and duplicative technology systems.

How Will OPM Implement the Overhaul?

In a request for proposals for the Federal Human Resources IT Modernization posted on SAM.gov Friday, OPM said it is seeking an industry partner to use agile methodologies and best practices to plan, develop and implement a core HCM system to support approximately 2 million federal employees.

The system must be adaptive, scalable and interoperable with other agency platforms and meet Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program Moderate or higher certification standards.

The government will award an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a 10-year period of performance. Work will be conducted at various locations within the continental United States. 

Interested parties may submit their proposals until Oct. 31. 

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NASA to Reopen Artemis 3 Lunar Lander Contract to Competition
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NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy. NASA has announced plans to recompete the Artemis 3 Human Landing System contract.

NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy has announced plans to reopen the Artemis 3 Human Landing System contract to competition, SpaceNews reported Monday.

Why Is NASA Reopening the Artemis 3 Lander Contract?

In recent television interviews, Duffy said the agency will allow other companies to compete for the contract due to delays by the current contractor, SpaceX, in developing its Starship lunar lander. SpaceX was initially awarded a $2.9 billion firm-fixed-price contract in 2021 to provide the lander for the Artemis 3 mission.

The decision is intended to sustain progress in lunar exploration amid increasing global competition, including from China.

“We’re going to have a space race in regard to American companies competing to see who can actually get us back to the moon first,” said Duffy.

What Are NASA’s Plans to Accelerate Lunar Missions?

According to Bethany Stevens, NASA’s press secretary, the Human Landing System program has asked both SpaceX and Blue Origin to present acceleration proposals by Oct. 29. She added that the agency will issue a request for information to gather input from the commercial space industry on how to increase the cadence of lunar missions.

What Is Blue Origin’s Role in Future Artemis Missions?

Blue Origin, under a separate HLS award, is currently developing the Blue Moon Mark 2 lander for Artemis 5 and future missions. The company has reportedly explored modifying its smaller Mark 1 lander for crewed missions.

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NIWC Pacific Seeks Contract Proposals on C4ISR Engineering Services
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NIWC Pacific contract solicitation for C4ISR engineering services

The Department of the Navy’s Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific has issued a contract solicitation for services on network integration engineering facility and command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or C4ISR, systems. The solicitation is programmed as a $47 million procurement, according to a SAM.gov post Thursday. 

What Are the Required Contract Services? 

The services solicited cover pre-installation test and checkout, including program management, basic research, end-to-end system design and prototype development, as well as systems engineering, integration and environmental qualification testing. The contract also calls for production, software loading, government acceptance testing, deployment and lifecycle support of C4ISR systems.

NIWC Pacific will entertain inquiries about the required services until Oct. 28, with Nov. 17 as the deadline for submitting proposals. 

In June, the Navy unit earlier issued a solicitation for proposals and white papers for research focused on the advancement of C4ISR, capabilities and command suites.

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Army Adds EW, Information Advantage Dimensions to Cyber Adviser’s Role
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Brandon Pugh headshot. Army's principal adviser's role expanded to electronic warfare and information superiority advantage

Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll has broadened the responsibilities of the service branch’s principal cyber adviser to include oversight and guidance on electronic warfare and information superiority advantage. According to a Breaking Defense report Friday, Driscoll’s move aims to ensure that EW and information advantage receive the same level of civilian attention as cyber operations. The change also aligns the PCA’s civilian oversight with existing uniformed roles that already integrate the two missions.

No Function Duplication Within Army

Brandon Pugh, the Army’s current PCA, told Breaking Defense that his new functions do not duplicate existing structures, such as the Army Management Office for Strategic Operations. His office’s additional roles are for better strategic alignment, he pointed out.

”All of our functions at the Pentagon, we try to have a military leader in conjunction with a civilian leader, in realizing that the civilians ultimately play an oversight role, just like we have a chief and a secretary,” Pugh said.

The additional responsibilities of his office strengthen its capability to advance the secretary’s priorities across the force, the Army PCA told Breaking Defense.

He also said Defense Secretary and Wash100 recipient Pete Hegseth has sent a memo to Driscoll outlining five investment priorities, including cybersecurity, prompting the Army’s PCA office to focus on cyber toolkit options for the service, including tools for offensive measures.

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Steve Shinn Steps Down as Acting NASA CFO
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Steve Shinn. The acting CFO of NASA joined The Aerospace Corp as VP and CFO.

Steve Shinn, NASA’s deputy chief financial officer and acting CFO, has stepped down from his role to join The Aerospace Corp. as vice president and CFO.

Greg Autry, the nominee for the CFO position at NASA, announced Shinn’s departure from the space agency and his new role at the nonprofit corporation.

According to his profile on Aerospace’s website, Shinn will oversee the corporation’s accounting, finance, treasury and other business processes. He will help modernize business functions and financial tools to deliver on critical misions of government and commercial customers.

Who Is Steve Shinn?

As acting CFO at NASA, Shinn oversaw all financial management, strategic planning, performance and budgeting activities related to the agency’s programs and operations. As deputy CFO, he led the agency’s budget analysis, performance reporting, justification and control of all fiscal resources related to NASA operations and programs.

His 15-year career at NASA included time as CFO at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center and deputy director for planning and business management at GSFC’s Flight Projects Directorate.

Before joining NASA, he was group supervisor for the space operations management group at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

Shinn started his career at Computer Sciences Corp., where he held roles of increasing responsibility.

The College of New Jersey finance graduate has a master’s degree in technical management from the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering.

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Clayton Fulton Appointed Chief of Staff at Indian Health Service
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Clayton Fulton, chief of staff at Indian Health Service. Fulton will support the IHS Office of the Director

The Indian Health Service has named Clayton Fulton as its new chief of staff. Fulton, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation who was raised in Indian country, will support the Office of the Director in implementing IHS initiatives and priorities.

IHS is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services responsible for providing federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Clayton Fulton Appointed Chief of Staff at Indian Health Service

Leaders from government and industry will be present at Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Healthcare Summit on Dec. 4 to discuss the most pressing issues in federal healthcare, including the integration of advanced technologies. Benjamin Koshy, chief information security officer at IHS, will take the stage as a speaker. The event is open to companies that wish to do business with the government and strengthen partnerships with federal agencies. Secure your tickets to the conference here.

Who Is Clayton Fulton?

Fulton is an attorney and economic development professional. According to a press release from IHS, he began his career as an intern with Cherokee Nation businesses, where he learned how tribal governments are using investments to empower Native communities.

“I believe that lasting change begins at the community level,” shared Fulton. “My approach centers on equipping grassroots leadership, supporting local capacity, and creating steady, intentional growth that strengthens families, culture and the community at large.”

He also served as an assistant attorney general for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. In the role, he oversaw the nation’s community programs, aligning regulatory efforts with long-term strategic goals, and supported efforts to expand economic opportunities.

“His experience working at the intersection of policy and program development between tribal nations and the federal government will only strengthen our government-to-government relationships throughout Indian Country,” said Benjamin Smith, acting director of IHS, of Fulton’s appointment.

Fulton has a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in business administration in Native American Enterprises from Northeastern State University. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School.

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