Acquisition Policy News 
Top News
- IRS to pay $70M in bonuses, Grassley says
- Senators push Tangherlini for assurances GSA is improving
- As VA works to eliminate one backlog, one more might emerge
- Furlough song: Laugh or you'll cry
- Senators seek cost cuts for F-35 fighter jet
- GAO: Smooth launch unsure for health law
- GSA's Dorris builds online gateway to government services
- Navy strikes enterprise licensing deal with Oracle
- Contractors with security clearances lack path to report problems
- NSA leak case gives vendors reason to reevaluate personnel
- Does security clearance process need a makeover?
- 8 contract executives guilty of 8(a) contracting fraud
- Whistleblower suit leads to $12M false claims settlement by SAIC
- USPS reaches energy reduction goal ahead of schedule
- House passes sweeping $638 billion defense bill
- NASA picks 8 new astronauts, 4 of them women
House to repeal law withholding contractors' taxes
The House is expected to approve a measure repealing a law that withholds 3 percent of government contractors' payments. The original law was enacted in 2006 to ensure contractors paid their taxes. But it's seen its implementation delayed until 2013, and it has grown increasingly unpopular with both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
$1 billion savings with strategic sourcing is 'achievable target'
Three senators are proposing major reforms to the federal government's acquisition process.
WH threatens veto of contractor tax repeal over offsets
The White House is threatening to veto a bill that would repeal the 3 percent tax withholding on government contractors because of the spending cuts attached to the legislation. The Senate version of the bill would cut $30 billion in government spending to pay for repealing the tax, which the White House says is too much.
Bill would require greater use of strategic sourcing
The Acquisitions Reform Bill would require more robust use of Federal Strategic Sourcing vehicles — which allow the government to consolidate its shopping lists and buy in bulk, rather than have each agency pursue its own procurements.
DoD reassures Congress it is fixing contingency contracting
Senior defense leaders told Congress they've already made huge steps toward implementing the recommendations of the Commission on Wartime Contracting. Former members of the panel say DoD still has a lot of work to do.
Senate committee passes bills on improper payments, whistleblower protections
The new bill, passed in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, would require more consistent reporting of improper payments by federal agencies.
Federal budget and procurement
Host Roger Waldron is joined by Jon Etherton of Etherton and Associates. They will discuss the outlook for congressional budget negotiations.
October 18, 2011 (Encore presentation November 1, 2011 and November 22, 2011)
CBO finds cancelling vendor withholding would increase deficit
The bill to repeal a requirement that governments withhold some payments to vendors would add more than $11 billion to the deficit, according the Congressional Budget Office. A key House committee has already passed the bill.
Prime contractors must notify agencies of sub switches under new SBA rule
A new Small Business Administration rule would require prime contractors to notify agency contracting officers when there's a change in subcontractors from the original bid. Kenneth Dodds, an SBA attorney, joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Amy Morris to discuss how the new rules would affect contractors and agencies.
A tale of two (Maryland) schools
Host Mark Amtower is joined by Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of BWTech at the UMBC Research and Technology Park, and Capitol College President and CEO Mike Wood.
October 17, 2011(Encore presentation November 28, 2011)
Lawmakers want U.S. steel in military vehicles
Senator Jay Rockefeller and a group of seven other senators said they want Deputy Secretary Ash Carter to change how the DoD buys metal for military vehicles.
Navy takes lifecycle view of energy costs in acquisitions
The Navy is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to find alternatives to fossil fuels. A parallel effort aims to engrain energy efficiency into the way the service buys the ships and planes it will own for the next few decades.
Top senators open to changes in military health
The top lawmakers on the Senate's defense panel on Friday recommended that a special committee searching for ways to slash the deficit consider some of President Barack Obama's proposed changes to health and retirement benefits for the military.
FAR Council wants to standardize privacy training for vendors
A proposed rule would ask contractors to track the training received by employees who work on federal systems.
Why agencies don't suspend contractors
Bill Woods, director of acquisition and sourcing management issues at GAO, joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Amy Morris to discuss a recent GAO report about the use of suspensions and debarments by federal agencies.
Gormley leaves Washington Management Group
Bill Gormley, president and chief executive officer of Washington Management Group, is leaving his job, Federal News Radio has learned.
Pentagon Solutions: Fixing contingency contracting, improving acquisition workforce
GAO's John Hutton and Belva Martin highlight conclusions from two recent reports.
OFPP takes on second challenge of taming MACs
The Office of Federal Procurement Policy and GSA are working on a directory of Federal Supply Schedule blanket purchase agreements. The database would help fix one of the "biggest blind spots" in federal acquisition today, said Dan Gordon, OFPP administrator. OFPP's memo to require business cases for multiple-award contracts received praise for its direct and specific requirements.
Multiple award schedule contracts
Host Roger Waldron will talk about the MAS program with Caroly Alston, general counsel for the Washington Management Group.
October 4, 2011
OFPP sets new rules for creating multiple-award contracts
Agencies must develop a business case and post it on an internal government site for others to comment on. OFPP also wants senior acquisition officials to sign off on justifications before moving out with a final solicitation. The new guidance comes as GAO and others have found the proliferation of multiple award contracts is costing agencies and vendors millions of dollars.
