Contracting
Updated

‘I love to solve problems’: Awards program honors feds who improved the delivery of public services

The Service to the Citizen award recognizes public servants at the federal, state and local levels as well as contractors.

Musk should testify about overstated savings from DHS contract cancellations, Democrats argue

The Government Accountability Office reported that contract terminations pushed by the Department of Government Efficiency yielded a net of $92 million — much less than the Homeland Security Department’s public report of as much as $10.5 billion in potential savings.

Federal disability employment program faced widespread compliance problems, whistleblower investigation finds

The AbilityOne Commission countered that “many of the compliance concerns cited by [the Office of Special Counsel] occurred during periods of operational disruption, including the pandemic.”

DHS watchdog says Noem-era policy hampered probe into FEMA employees skipping homes with Trump signs

Auditors found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency also did not provide consistent Hatch Act training to employees.

Lawmaker warns of administration’s ‘fetishization’ of Silicon Valley startups

Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., discussed his plans to scrutinize Trump-era contracting practices, revive federal IT oversight and push for AI policy.

Federal acquisition rewrite leaves cybersecurity confusion unresolved

COMMENTARY | As the government overhauls its procurement rulebook, contractors are still grappling with a persistent problem that shapes how they price, plan, and perform work: what information must be protected and who is responsible for identifying it.

Federal acquisition overhaul moves from plan to proposed rules

The long-awaited rewrite effort is entering its next phase, with changes affecting everything from contract protests to security requirements.

Legislative proposal would eliminate contracting preferences for minority, women-owned businesses

The bill would codify and expand on Trump’s executive order to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in federal contracting.

OMB seeks details from agencies on their commercial buying, or lack thereof

A new White House budget office memo also outlines what agencies have to do if they want to go down the non-commercial contracting route and who has the approval power over it.

Contractors sue to block Trump’s federal DEI executive order

The lawsuit alleges minority-owned businesses are being forced to trade their First Amendment rights for federal contracts.

IBM agrees to pay $17.1M in first big test of new federal contractor DEI rules

The settlement marks an early signal of how the Justice Department plans to interpret and enforce recently reshaped contractor requirements, with implications for companies doing business with the federal government.

Federal contractor DEI initiatives singled out in latest Trump executive order

Trump’s anti-diversity directives already impacted contractors, but the new order imposes additional requirements.

VA’s former EHR lead indicted for concealing contractor gifts

The Justice Department alleges that John Windom accepted and sometimes demanded various gifts while helming the electronic health record modernization at Veterans Affairs.

Kristi Noem misled Congress about top aide’s role in DHS contracts

Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Noem denied that Corey Lewandowski had any role in approving contracts. But internal DHS records and interviews with current and former agency staffers contradict her testimony.

Why federal acquisition must adapt to survive

COMMENTARY | In a world where the only constant is change, failure to adapt equals extinction.

The revolutionary new weapon in the Pentagon’s pocket — and why it matters now more than ever

COMMENTARY | The launch of comprehensive acquisition transformation will lift the burdens keeping U.S. companies from being as agile and responsive as possible.

DOGE was government contracting's biggest story of 2025 — and it's not close

COMMENTARY | Contract cancellations, exaggerated savings claims and consulting contract reviews dominated our most-read stories of the year.