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”).Continue Reading Trump Administration Issues Executive Order Aimed At Modernizing Defense Acquisitions And Spurring Innovation
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 Trump’s goal of catalyzing innovation and economic growth by reducing regulatory burdens, both in general and in the energy industry specifically.
We briefly summarize below the six April 9 executive actions most likely to impact government contractors.Continue Reading New Executive Actions Address the Defense Acquisition System, U.S. Maritime Industries, Foreign Military Sales, and “Unlawful” Regulations
Executive Order Issued To Expand GSA’s Role in Acquisition of “Common Goods and Services” and Information Technology
On March 20, 2025, President Trump issued executive order (“EO”) Eliminating Waste and Saving Taxpayer Dollars by Consolidating Procurement, which will have significant effects on federal government contracting. The EO is intended to consolidate “domestic Federal procurement” within the General Services Administration (“GSA”) to “eliminate waste and duplication.”
The EO has two primary objectives:
- It grants GSA an increased role in the U.S. Government’s acquisition of “common goods and services”.
- It designates the GSA Administrator as “the executive agent for all Government-wide acquisition contracts for information technology” pursuant to 40 U.S.C. § 11302(e).[1]
We have summarized key provisions and potential effects of the EO further below.Continue Reading Executive Order Issued To Expand GSA’s Role in Acquisition of “Common Goods and Services” and Information Technology
It’s Time to Re-Imagine FAR Subpart 42.12: Ways to Improve the Novation Process
Earlier this month, the FAR Council took action to extend its existing authority to collect information from government contractors for novation requests with a notice in the Federal Register. While this was a routine action, it is a reminder that the novation process is in need of serious attention. The
Continue Reading It’s Time to Re-Imagine FAR Subpart 42.12: Ways to Improve the Novation ProcessDHS Releases Final Rule on Safeguarding CUI After Six Year Wait
On June 21, 2023, DHS published a final rule that amends the Homeland Security Acquisition Regulation (HSAR) both by modifying the existing regulations through removing and updating existing clauses and by adding new contract clauses to include certain requirements for the safeguarding of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). The final rule
Continue Reading DHS Releases Final Rule on Safeguarding CUI After Six Year WaitSeptember 2022 Developments Under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order
By: Robert Huffman, Susan Cassidy, Michael Wagner, Ryan Burnette, and Emma Merrill
This is the seventeenth in a series of Covington blogs on implementation of Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). The first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s
Continue Reading September 2022 Developments Under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive OrderOMB Issues Memorandum on Self-Attestations by Software Developers of Secure Software Development Practices and Collection of Software Bill of Materials
On September 14, 2022, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) issued a memorandum to the heads of executive branch departments and agencies addressing the enhancement of security of the federal software supply chain. The memorandum applies to all software (other than agency-developed software) developed or experiencing major version changes to be operated “on the agency’s information systems or otherwise affecting the agency’s information,” and requires new self-attestations from software vendors before that software can be used by agencies.
The memorandum is one among many deliverables stemming from Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). We have covered developments under this Executive Order as part of a series of monthly posts, with the first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s key provisions and timelines, and the subsequent blogs described the actions taken by various Government agencies to implement the Cyber EO from June 2021 through August 2022. Key requirements of the memorandum are discussed in more detail below.Continue Reading OMB Issues Memorandum on Self-Attestations by Software Developers of Secure Software Development Practices and Collection of Software Bill of Materials
June 2022 Developments Under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order
This is the fourteenth in a series of Covington blogs on implementation of Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). The first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s key provisions and timelines, and the subsequent blogs described the actions taken by various Government agencies to implement the Cyber EO from June 2021 through May 2022. This blog describes key actions taken to implement the Cyber EO during June 2022.Continue Reading June 2022 Developments Under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order
May 2022 Developments Under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order: One Year Anniversary Update
This is the thirteenth in a series of Covington blogs on implementation of Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). The first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s key provisions and timelines, and the subsequent blogs describe the actions taken by various Government agencies to implement the Cyber EO from June 2021 through April 2022. This blog reflects on the one year anniversary of the Cyber EO and discusses the status of various implementation activities. It also describes key actions taken to implement the Cyber EO during May 2022.Continue Reading May 2022 Developments Under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order: One Year Anniversary Update
April 2022 Developments Under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order
This is the twelfth in a series of Covington blogs on implementation of Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). The first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s key provisions and timelines, and the second through eleventh blogs describe the actions taken by various Government agencies to implement the Cyber EO from June 2021 through March 2022, respectively. This blog summarizes key actions taken to implement the Cyber EO during April 2022. As with the steps taken during prior months, the actions described below reflect the implementation of the EO within the Government. However, these activities portend further actions, potentially in or before June 2022, that are likely to impact government contractors, particularly those who provide software products or services to the Government.
Continue Reading April 2022 Developments Under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order