Uncategorized

Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Includes Change Order Reform Reform regarding change orders in federal contracting is part of the ongoing, comprehensive “Revolutionary FAR Overhaul” (RFO) initiated by a series of Executive Orders in early 2025. This initiative, led by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) and the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council), aims to…

U.S. Department of Transportation Revised DBE Program The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) significantly revised its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program as of October 3, 2025, eliminating race- and gender-based presumptions and requiring individualized proof of disadvantage.Here’s a detailed breakdown of the key changes introduced by the Interim Final Rule (IFR): Major Structural Changes Presumption…

Modifying the Scope of Reciprocal Tariffs Announced on April 2, 2025! Last Friday, November 14, President Trump signed an Executive Order modifying the scope of the reciprocal tariffs that he first announced on April 2, 2025. Specifically, certain qualifying agricultural products will no longer be subject to those tariffs. Per the White House, “given the…

Death of the U.S. Penny! The American penny was officially discontinued last week after 232 years of circulation, marking the end of its use in an era increasingly dominated by digital payment methods such as Venmo and Apple Pay. First introduced in 1793 during Alexander Hamilton’s tenure as Secretary of the Treasury, the penny has…

This Week in Congress! Congress returned to session this week to reopen the government. This past weekend, Senate Majority Leader Thune (R-SD) kept the chamber in session and by Sunday, the Senate voted in favor of a motion to reconsider the House-passed CR. This vote permitted leadership to bring that measure to the floor with…

Status of FY 2026 Government Funding Unless every Senator agrees to a time agreement, the process could take several days to pass in that chamber. Assuming that it eventually does, it will then go to the House.  Republican leadership advised that votes are expected in the House later this week.  The assumption is that a…

Reconciliation 2.0 / Healthcare Reform Legislation President Trump is against any extension of the ACA enhanced tax credits, arguing that such funds should be paid “to the people” instead of “money sucking Insurance Companies.” That likely will prevent any bipartisan deal on extending the subsidies, but Senate Budget Committee Chairman Graham (R-SC) has been talking to…

Republicans Release Package of Labor Bills On November 10th, Republicans from the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee announced a slate of labor reform bills aimed at improving the rights of workers. The bills in the package are as follows: Worker RESULTS Act (S.3117): Amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) regarding labor…

This Week in Congress! This week, the Senate was in session, but the House remained out of session; it has not voted in 45 days. The Senate considered the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) again this week and the chamber voted on administration nominees. Senate Democrats called for vote on a war powers resolution that would…

Status of FY 2026 Government Funding The current government shutdown is tied to the longest prior government shutdown, which lasted from December 21, 2018, to January 25, 2019. A possible lapse in federal food aid funding, the start of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment, and upcoming elections could encourage a deal to reopen the…