President Trump has issued two new Executive Orders (“EOs”) that seek to reshape federal procurement. The much anticipated “Restoring Common Sense To Federal Procurement” EO (the “FAR Reform EO”) seeks to “create the most agile, effective, and efficient procurement system possible” by revising the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) such that the FAR contains
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DoD is Shrinking its Civilian Workforce: What Contractors Should Know Now
Since January 20, the Trump administration has taken numerous executive actions that impact federal government contractors and grant recipients. In just a single day last week, the Trump administration issued a series of EOs and presidential memoranda that, among other things, seek to reform the defense acquisition system, bolster the U.S. maritime industry,…
Trump Administration Issues Executive Order Aimed At Modernizing Defense Acquisitions And Spurring Innovation
On April 9, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order (“EO”), “Modernizing Defense Acquisitions and Spurring Innovation In the Defense Industrial Base,” that may have significant implications for federal government contractors doing business with the Department of Defense (“DoD”), and particularly those with touchpoints to Major Defense Acquisition Programs (“MDAPs”).…
Renewed Effort to Support Commercial Shipbuilding Capacity and the Domestic Maritime Industry
On April 9th, President Trump issued the Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance Executive Order (“Maritime EO”), which declares that “[i]t is the policy of the United States to revitalize and rebuild domestic maritime industries and workforce to promote national security and economic prosperity.” The Maritime EO aims to improve the nation’s commercial shipbuilding capacity and bolster…
New Executive Actions Address the Defense Acquisition System, U.S. Maritime Industries, Foreign Military Sales, and “Unlawful” Regulations
President Trump issued a series of executive orders (“EOs”) and presidential memoranda on Wednesday, April 9, that could impact government contractors across a broad range of industries. Among other initiatives, these executive actions seek to reform the defense acquisition system, reinvigorate the U.S. maritime industry, and streamline foreign military sales. The actions also reflect President…
New Executive Order Targets Reforms to Foreign Military Sales
On April 9th, President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Reforming Foreign Defense Sales To Improve Speed And Accountability” (“the FMS EO”). The FMS EO directs the Departments of Defense and State to reform the foreign defense sales system with the goal of “simultaneously strengthen[ing] the security capabilities of our allies and invigorat[ing]…
Timeline of Key Developments Related to Recent Executive Actions: April Edition
As the second Trump Administration enters its third month, Covington’s Government Contracts Practice is continuing to track the latest developments related to recent executive actions. This April edition of our key developments timeline has been condensed to provide a targeted overview of the developments this month most relevant to contractors. For a detailed version of…
OMB Issues First Trump 2.0-Era Requirements for AI Use and Procurement by Federal Agencies
On April 3, the White House Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) released two memoranda with AI guidance and requirements for federal agencies, Memorandum M-25-21 on Accelerating Federal Use of AI through Innovation, Governance, and Public Trust (“OMB AI Use Memo“) and Memorandum M-25-22 on Driving Efficient Acquisition of Artificial Intelligence in Government (“OMB AI…
Timeline of Key Developments Related to Recent Executive Actions as of April 2, 2025
During his first two months 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…
Trump Administration Issues Executive Orders that Seek to Shape CHIPS Program and Promote Domestic Mineral Production
President Trump recently issued two separate Executive Orders (EOs) that will have implications for how federal agencies seek to promote the administration’s goal of attracting domestic and foreign investment to industrial projects in the United States, with particular implications for the semiconductor and critical minerals industries.
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