“Eye on Policy” is a monthly article by Tom Temin, who offers his expert insights on the latest government IT developments, trends, and challenges to the DGI audience. Tom is the former host of “The Federal Drive” on Federal News Network, and a respected journalist covering federal technology and policy. With his deep understanding of federal operations and technology, his analysis will be an invaluable resource for professionals navigating the evolving landscape.
Congress has always managed to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by the end of the calendar year. Policy watchers point to that as an example of congressional success, like a rose popping up in a weed patch, even if it does occur three months into the fiscal year to which the NDAA applies.
As the federal government heads into the crucial fourth quarter buying season, the emergent theme centers on numbers of suppliers – growing in some domains, shrinking in others. SBA moves to end “abuse” of the 8(a) program. If you want to understand a sea change in the small business set aside program for federal contracting, get to know the phrase “rebuttable presumption.”
“What the blankety-blank are we doing?” That’s a typical (and real) reaction of contractors and federal procurement camp followers when it comes to the April 30 executive order about contracting. The move takes the longstanding preference for fixed price contracts into new territory.
The federal budget process, in theory anyway, runs roughly in parallel with the major league baseball season. Right around Opening Day, some sort of proposal issues from the Administration. Now, a month or so in, Congress, such as it is, hasn’t spent much time thinking about its primary responsibility: passing a budget for fiscal 2027 by September 30, the day after the MLB post season starts.
When the Trump administration released its national cybersecurity strategy last month, regular consumers of detailed federal policy might have had a “where’s the beef?” moment. Shortly after the strategy came out, a cataclysmic event – the war against Iran and its proxy terror groups – showed vividly why cybersecurity is not merely academic. The war has let loose a torrent of malicious activity in cyberspace. If ever it was critical to keep cyber defenses such as patches and deterrent measures up to date, it’s now.
Acquisition remains tied to advancement by the government. Regardless of the era, mainframe COBOL to artificial intelligence, the government works hard to keep up. Now a heavily engaged Defense Department has developed a love-hate relationship with the artificial intelligence industry. That has led to dire consequences for one big player and a distortion of law and regulation for everyone.