Updated
Management
‘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.
Oversight
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.
Oversight
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.”
Oversight
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.
Management
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.
Management
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.
Management
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.
Management
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.
Management
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.
Management
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.
Management
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.
Management
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.
Oversight
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.
Management
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.
Management
Why federal acquisition must adapt to survive
COMMENTARY | In a world where the only constant is change, failure to adapt equals extinction.
Management
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.
Management
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.
Defense
Pentagon preps to enforce ban on companies with ‘indirect’ ties to China
Defense firms will be notified of potential links to blacklisted Chinese-military companies a year before the contracting ban goes into effect, the assistant defense secretary for industrial policy said.
Management
Lawmaker looks to shake up VA’s software management
Legislation from Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., prioritizes waste reduction when it comes to the roughly $1 billion that VA spends annually on software assets.
Management