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Congressional Action on AI A group of senators led by Majority Leader Schumer met with President Biden to discuss next steps in Artificial Intelligent (AI) regulations. The President issued an executive order to set a standard on safety, security, and transparency of artificial intelligence systems. Under the order, companies that train AI through foundational models…

Fiscal 2024 Federal Procurement Spending Exceeds $762 Billion Fiscal 2024 federal procurement spending is estimated to be $762 billion to $870 billion, which would be about 7.9% above the fiscal 2022 total ($707 billion). Due to Defense Department delays, there is not complete procurement data for fiscal 2023. Using seasonally adjusted historical spending trends, the…

This Week in Congress This week, House Republicans continued their search for a new speaker and the Senate Leadership has vowed to swiftly move on the White House’s $106 billion national security supplemental request which includes aid to Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific and the southern U.S. border.  The funding package faces an uncertain path due…

ASA Joins the SBLC on the Hill This week, ASA joined the Small Business Legislative Council (SBLC)’s first annual fly-in on Capitol Hill.  ASA has been a long-standing member of the SBLC and Mike Oscar, our Government Relations Director, serves as the SBLC’s Chair for 2023.  The SBLC is an independent, permanent coalition of trade…

2023 ASA Fall Attorneys’ Council Meeting Friday, October 20-21, 2023 This year, our Attorneys’ Council Chair Chip Bachara hosted the ASA Attorneys’ Council fall meeting at the Ponte Vedra Resort in Jacksonville, Florida. And while we tackled a number of substantive issues in our daily meetings, the weather and activities couldn’t have gone more smoothly.…

Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) Takes Effect January 1, 2024, Without Further Congressional Action Last week, we wrote about the importance of the CTA and its impact on our membership.  As a reminder, in December 2020, Congress passed the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).   Per the Financial Crimes…

This Week in Congress This week, the House continued to determine their next Speaker and the Senate resumed their work on the Administration’s nominees and a spending bill package. Return to the ASAToday page to read more articles.

Supplemental Aid for Israel, Ukraine, and More… This week, the Biden Administration requested a $100 Billion in supplemental aid for Israel, Ukraine, the southern border, and U.S. disaster assistance.  Senate Majority Leader Schumer said he wants to move quickly on this request; however, some House Republicans are still against including Ukraine in the supplemental package. …

Congressional Security Alert Both chambers’ sergeants-at-arms and the Capitol Police alerted the congressional community they are increasing security in anticipation of protests related to the Israel-Hamas war. Protests by several groups are expected on Capitol Hill, including “Jewish Voice for Peace,” which has a permit. Expect an increased police presence on the Hill, with limitations…

ASA’s FY24 NDAA’s Procurement Priorities On October 12, 2023, ASA, along with the Construction Industry Procurement Coalition (CIPC), sent a letter to the House and Senate Armed Services Committee Leadership highlighting their suggestions and proposals for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024. EXCLUDE: Senate Section 2811 – Temporary Expansion of Authority…