Since President Trump issued Executive Order (“E.O.”) 14275, “Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement” on April 15, 2025 as part of an effort to remake Federal procurement, the Administration has undertaken a variety of initial steps to implement its so-called “Revolutionary FAR Overhaul” (“RFO”). These steps include “streamlining” each Part of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) on a rolling basis to remove “non-statutory requirements.” To date, seven streamlined FAR Parts have been released on the RFO page of acquisition.gov: Parts 1, Federal Acquisition Regulation; 10, Market Research; 11, Describing Agency Needs; 18, Emergency Acquisitions; 34, Major System Acquisition; 39, Acquisition of Information and Communication Technology; and 43, Contract Modifications. The public has the opportunity to provide “informal input” for each Part—the soonest of which is to provide feedback on FAR Part 10 by July 7, 2025 at 4:30 PM ET.[1] Although the volume of streamlined FAR Parts, non-regulatory resources, and commentary on acquisition.gov has started to proliferate in recent weeks, the extent to which these resources can and will be relied on in a strategic, accessible manner by the broader acquisition community still remains to be seen. Continue Reading Continued Signs of Progress in the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul
Early Signs of Progress in the “Revolutionary FAR Overhaul”
On Friday, May 2, the U.S. government announced further steps in its much-discussed plan to re-write the FAR by establishing a “Revolutionary FAR Overhaul” (“RFO”) website on Acquisition.gov, issuing written guidance to federal agencies, and releasing proposed revisions to FAR Part 1 – Federal Acquisition Regulation System and Part 34 – Major System Acquisition. This activity comes on the heels of recent presidential directives requiring agencies to examine and reform their approach to procurement of goods and services, including Executive Order (“E.O.”) 14275, “Restoring Common Sense To Federal Procurement,” and E.O. 14271, “Ensuring Commercial, Cost-Effective Solutions in Federal Contracts.”
As anticipated, the FAR re-write is spearheaded by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (“OFPP”) within the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) and the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (“FAR Council”). The RFO website proclaims that the re-write is “the first-ever comprehensive overhaul of the FAR” and aims to “return the FAR to its statutory roots, rewritten in plain language, and remove most non-statutory rules.” It also will result in “non-regulatory buying guides [to] provide practical strategies grounded in common sense while remaining outside the FAR.” In short, the goal is characterized as “faster acquisitions, greater competition, and better results.”Continue Reading Early Signs of Progress in the “Revolutionary FAR Overhaul”
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
Timeline of Key Developments Related to Recent Executive Actions: April Edition
Updated as of April 30, 2025
Over the first one-hundred days of the second Trump Administration, Covington’s Government Contracts Practice has tracked the latest developments related to recent executive actions most relevant to federal contractors and grantees. This April edition of our key developments timeline provides a targeted overview of
Continue Reading Timeline of Key Developments Related to Recent Executive Actions: April EditionTimeline 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 recipients, and is divided into five topics: (1) Federal Funding; (2) DEI and Gender; (3) Energy and Environment; (4) Trade and Foreign Aid; and (5) DOGE and Federal Workforce. Covington’s Government Contracts Practice is continuing to track these and other developments and will plan to periodically update this timeline.
This timeline provides a high-level summary of recent events and is not exhaustive. In addition, this timeline was last updated on the date provided above. To the extent you may have questions regarding any of the developments discussed below — or other matters — please reach out to a member of Covington’s Government Contracts Practice.Continue Reading Timeline of Key Developments Related to Recent Executive Actions as of April 2, 2025
Timeline of Key Developments Related to Recent Executive Actions as of March 26, 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 recipients, and is divided into five topics: (1) Federal Funding; (2) DEI and Gender; (3) Energy and Environment; (4) Trade and Foreign Aid; and (5) DOGE and Federal Workforce. Covington’s Government Contracts Practice is continuing to track these and other developments and will plan to periodically update this timeline.
This timeline provides a high-level summary of recent events and is not exhaustive. In addition, this timeline was last updated on the date provided above. To the extent you may have questions regarding any of the developments discussed below — or other matters — please reach out to a member of Covington’s Government Contracts Practice.Continue Reading Timeline of Key Developments Related to Recent Executive Actions as of March 26, 2025
Timeline of Key Developments Related to Recent Executive Actions as of March 19, 2025
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 recipients, and is divided into five topics: (1) Federal Funding; (2) DEI and Gender; (3) Energy and Environment; (4) Trade and Foreign Aid; and (5) DOGE and Federal Workforce. Covington’s Government Contracts Practice is continuing to track these and other developments and will plan to periodically update this timeline.
This timeline provides a high-level summary of recent events and is not exhaustive. In addition, this timeline was last updated on the date provided above. To the extent you may have questions regarding any of the developments discussed below — or other matters — please reach out to a member of Covington’s Government Contracts Practice.Continue Reading Timeline of Key Developments Related to Recent Executive Actions as of March 19, 2025
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 specific items including lumber, semiconductors, and agricultural products. These tariffs raise significant concerns for government contractors. We have outlined below five points government contractors should keep in mind when assessing the impact of these tariffs on their contracts.Continue Reading The Trump Tariffs and Federal Contractors: In These Taxing Times, Contractors Have a Duty To Know These Five Things
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 most relevant to federal contractors and grant recipients, and is divided into five topics: (1) Federal Funding; (2) DEI and Gender; (3) Energy and Environment; (4) Trade and Foreign Aid; and (5) DOGE and Federal Workforce. Covington’s Government Contracts Practice is continuing to track these and other developments and will plan to periodically update this timeline.
This document provides a high-level summary of recent events and is not exhaustive. In addition, this document was last updated on the date provided above. To the extent you may have questions regarding any of the developments discussed below — or other matters — please reach out to a member of Covington’s Government Contracts Practice.Continue Reading Timeline of Key Developments Related to Recent Executive Actions as of March 12, 2025
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 most relevant to federal contractors and grant recipients, and is divided into five topics: (1) Federal Funding; (2) DEI and Gender; (3) Energy and Environment; (4) Trade and Foreign Aid; and (5) DOGE and Federal Workforce. Covington’s Government Contracts Practice is continuing to track these and other developments and will plan to periodically update this timeline.
This post provides a high-level summary of recent events and is not exhaustive. In addition, this document was last updated on the date provided above. To the extent you may have questions regarding any of the developments discussed below — or other matters — please reach out to a member of Covington’s Government Contracts Practice.Continue Reading Timeline of Key Developments Related to Recent Executive Actions as of March 5, 2025