On January 22, 2025, GSA’s Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian issued the attached memorandum to contractors regarding intent to suspend enforcement of contractual DEI terms in existing agreements. The full text of the memorandum is below. Contractor Notice re Implementation of Executive Order
Trump Administration to Impose False Claims Act Liability on Contractors and Grant Recipients Who Continue to Maintain DEI and Other Affirmative Action Programs
On January 21, 2025, President Trump issued a widely expected executive order (EO), Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, targeting affirmative action and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government. The EO revokes multiple labor-related executive orders promoting affirmative action and other DEI policies, including EO 11246, Equal Employment Opportunity (September … [Read more…]
What’s the Deal if an Entity Ends Up on the 1260H List?
On January 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) refreshed its 1260H List, which names the entities classified as “Chinese military companies” (CMC) operating within the United States. This update is in line with section 1260H of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. The revised list now features 76 … [Read more…]
Looking into Project 2025: USAID
Project 2025: Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise is 922 pages of governing proposals from the Heritage Foundation, with ideas for multiple departments. From the recent executive orders it seems like parts of Project 2025 are already or in the process of being implemented. They have a 30 page section on the US Agency for … [Read more…]
QED now Q2Impact goes to court over its OASIS+ bid rejection
Q2 Impact is not giving up on its fight for a chance to compete for a spot on the OASIS+ vehicle after the General Services Administration (GAO) rejected the company’s bid. See decision here. GSA based its decision on how Q2 is using banned communications equipment for a U.S. Agency for International Development contract. The company … [Read more…]
Fixing Impact: How Fixed Prices Can Scale Results-Based Procurement at USAID
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) currently uses Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) as its de facto default funding and contracting model. Unfortunately, this model prioritizes administrative compliance over performance, hindering USAID’s development goals and U.S. efforts to counter renewed Great Power competition with Russia, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and other competitors. The U.S. … [Read more…]
PATH statement on US withdrawal from WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) plays a critical role in keeping Americans and the world safe from deadly diseases and health threats. We urge the Trump Administration to reconsider its position on US withdrawal from WHO. At a time when we are facing multiple health crises—including mpox, cholera, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—a strong and effective … [Read more…]
Trump Names Jason Gray as Acting Administrator of USAID
On January 20, 2025, President Trump announced that Jason Gray, the Chief Information Officer at USAID, will take on the role of acting administrator for the agency. According to the White House, he’ll handle these responsibilities “in an acting capacity until the position is officially filled.” MORE HERE
Trump signs executive order pausing foreign assistance for 3 months
President Trump on Monday signed an executive order suspending any new U.S. foreign development assistance for three months, and directed a review of foreign assistance programs to ensure they line up with his America First foreign policy. The order pausing funding follows an executive order directing the State Department to implement an “America First foreign … [Read more…]
Trump suspends US foreign assistance for 90 days pending reviews
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending all U.S. foreign assistance programs for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals. It was not immediately clear how much assistance would initially be affected by the Monday order as funding for many programs has already … [Read more…]