During his first eight weeks in office, President Trump has taken numerous executive actions likely to impact federal government contractors and grant recipients. This timeline highlights key developments pertaining to recent executive orders (“EOs”) and other executive actions issued by the second Trump administration. It focuses on issues most relevant to federal contractors and grant
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The Trump Tariffs and Federal Contractors: In These Taxing Times, Contractors Have a Duty To Know These Five Things
As reported and analyzed in recent posts, the Trump administration has begun implementing a number of new tariffs, including three sets of country-based tariffs (China, Canada, and Mexico) and Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum. We expect further announcements of reciprocal tariffs on imports from China, Canada, and Mexico, and other tariffs on
Timeline of Key Developments Related to Recent Executive Actions as of March 12, 2025
On Tuesday, March 4, 2025, President Trump addressed a joint session of Congress, and highlighted many of the actions his administration has taken during his first six weeks in office. This timeline highlights key developments pertaining to recent executive orders (“EOs”) and other executive actions issued by the second Trump administration. It focuses on issues
Timeline of Key Developments Related to Recent Executive Actions as of March 5, 2025
On Tuesday, March 4, 2025, President Trump addressed a joint session of Congress, and highlighted many of the actions his administration has taken during his first six weeks in office. This timeline highlights key developments pertaining to recent executive orders (“EOs”) and other executive actions issued by the second Trump administration. It focuses on issues
January and February 2025 Cybersecurity Developments Under the Biden and Trump Administrations
This is the first in a new series of Covington blogs on cybersecurity policies, executive orders, and other actions of the new Trump Administration. This blog describes key cybersecurity developments that took place in January and February 2025. Below, we outline three developments affecting cybersecurity in January and February 2025, including one from the Biden
Fifth Circuit Adds New Wrinkle to Ongoing Fight Over Federal Contract Worker Minimum Wage Requirement
Earlier this month, the Fifth Circuit ruled in favor of a Biden administration order raising the minimum wage of many types of federal contract workers. The executive order remains subject to litigation (in both the Fifth Circuit and elsewhere), but is currently effective throughout the country, with a narrow exception for certain state agencies.
President
Covington Submits Supreme Court Amicus Curiae Brief Addressing Derivative Sovereign Immunity for Government Contractors
On behalf of the Professional Services Council (PSC), this past week Covington filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the petitioner in The GEO Group, Inc. v. Menocal (No. 24-758). The brief urges the Court to grant certiorari and, ultimately, to hold that government contractors are entitled to immediately appeal
Timeline of Key Developments Related to Recent Executive Actions
As previously discussed on this blog, President Trump issued several executive orders (“EOs”) and memoranda, many of which may have implications for federal contractors and grant recipients. During the first 30 days of the second Trump Administration, Covington’s Government Contracts Practice Group has tracked developments related to these EOs, as well as subsequent executive
U.S. Federal and State Governments Moving Quickly to Restrict Use of DeepSeek
Last month, DeepSeek, an AI start-up based in China, grabbed headlines with claims that its latest large language AI model, DeepSeek-R1, could perform on par with more expensive and market-leading AI models despite allegedly requiring less than $6 million dollars’ worth of computing power from older and less-powerful chips. Although some industry observers have raised
FY2025 NDAA: Congressional Efforts to Bolster U.S. Resilience Against Chinese Tech and Influence
The FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”) sustains Congress’s continued focus on countering China’s expanding influence and enhancing U.S. resilience in an era of great power competition. This year’s legislation reflects the practice of carrying the State Department and Intelligence Authorization Acts within the NDAA—marking the third consecutive year that these critical measures have