The article alludes to a possible answer. At the end of the year ALL federal agencies have to have their entire budget spent or it will or may get cut the next year. There is a rush to spend all the excess money on anything they can. I was a student worker in college and saw it happen at my job. That was over 40 years ago. Everyone in government is aware of this crap and no one has ever addressed the problem.
Even happened in service back in VN days. Rule of the day: spend it or loose it”.