Contracting
Shutdown’s ripple effect: Contractors, small businesses face devastating economic hit
At least 1 million contractor employees face lost paychecks as the funding lapse disrupts their companies' services to agencies and freezes federal operations.
Tech under OneGov remains ‘fully available’ during shutdown — but agencies may lack funds and personnel to access it
Some of the advanced software tools made available to federal agencies as part of the OneGov initiative are available for a limited time with impending expirations.
Reductions in force could make bad situation worse for federal contractors during government shutdown
Some federal contractors have already reported problems connecting with their contracting officers.
Has Space Force cracked the code on faster acquisition?
Leaders say the service is “disrupting” the Valley of Death, among other innovations.
Pentagon bans tech vendors from using China-based personnel following a ProPublica investigation
The Defense Department has tightened cybersecurity requirements for its cloud services providers. The changes come after ProPublica revealed how Microsoft’s use of China-based engineers left sensitive government
Why GovCon should care about Trump’s disdain for oversight and accountability
COMMENTARY | The administration's push to undermine watchdog agencies may bring short-term gains, but will more likely damage the market and good government over the long haul.
Treasury, GSA partner to reward fed employees who ID wasteful contract spending
Parts of the program could eventually expand beyond the Treasury Department.
Centralization might not be the best model for delivering common government services
COMMENTARY | The second Trump administration's approach to shared services may offer agencies less flexibility and potentially lower performance by centralizing acquisition. It's a shift from the president's first term.
GSA deputy Stephen Ehikian to depart post
Ehikian — who, until recently, served as GSA’s acting administrator — is the latest day one Trump appointee to leave the government.
FAR Council releases changes to 6 sections of acquisition regulation
The White House celebrated the changes as a milestone in its effort to overhaul and simplify the rules surrounding federal buying.
Updated
Layoffs canceled at federal contractor oversight office, but questions remain about employee reassignments
Employees at the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs received a notice that they will get new job assignments rather than be removed from the civil service.
Featured eBooks
GSA adds global AI providers to the schedule
ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are now available to agencies through a single source for buying artificial intelligence capabilities.
Whistleblower bill for contractors gains bipartisan support with Grassley’s backing
Supporters say the legislation would close “loopholes” in existing whistleblower protections for federal contractors.
Trump administration narrows effort to nix project labor agreements for federal construction contracts
The move to narrow the rollback of a Biden-era order mandating contractors negotiate with unions before major construction projects came after a federal judge blocked the White House’s first attempt.
SBA to audit 8(a) contracting program
The Small Business Administration cites the guilty pleas of a former contracting officer and industry executives in a decades-long bribery scheme.
Lawmakers demand review of VA’s AI-driven contract cuts
Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Angus King, I-Maine, said the use of AI to identify agency contracts for termination “adds an entire new level of unease connected to the decision-making, security, governance, and quality control of the entire process.”
Former USAID official, three contractors plead guilty in $550M bribery scheme
Their decades-long conspiracy involved rigged contracts, NBA tickets, mortgage payments, securities fraud and cash.
AI-driven contract cuts at VA spark concern
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said DOGE’s use of an AI tool resulted in the “wholesale slashing” of VA contracts.
Agencies’ effort to unwind project labor agreement requirements ‘flatly contradict’ order establishing them, judge says
The Trump administration had sought to neutralize a Biden-era executive order requiring contractors to negotiate with unions ahead of major construction projects with broad exceptions, something specifically barred by the underlying order.
Federal contract employees who alleged discrimination forced to wait as enforcement agency is dismantled
Layoffs are scheduled to take effect at the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs on June 6. Between the reduction in force and separation incentives, the agency’s workforce is expected to shrink by about 90%.
