SmartContracting: contractors

The Professional Services Council today sharply criticized the American Federation of Government Employees for urging the executive branch to focus its budget reduction efforts on federal contractors because AFGE incorrectly believes contractors have been largely “spared” any impacts from the government’s fiscal challenges.

“AFGE’s perspective is wrong on multiple levels,” PSC President and CEO Stan Soloway said in a media statement. “To start with, they ignore the thousands of contractor jobs that have already been cut, as well as the thousands more that will have to be cut in the execution of the OMB and DoD implementation guidance. Even worse, their perspective ignores entirely the best interests of the agencies and the taxpayer.”

“We cannot approach our current fiscal crisis solely on the basis of parochial interest. Every community that supports the government is already being affected, and will continue to be affected, by the government’s fiscal challenges,” Soloway continued. “That includes federal employees, contractors, grantees, state and local entities and more. None of us like it, but we all must face it. As we have repeatedly stated, rather than arbitrarily targeting one community or the other, agencies must be free to strategically determine how to meet their individual short- and long-term mission requirements in the most efficient and effective manner.”

SmartContracting Daily Intel for January 18, 2013

Before you check out for the weekend, check out today's news you can use...

Federal Times: Union accuses administration of aiming cuts at employees, not contractors

http://bit.ly/VbPMNN

Federal News Radio: In Depth interviews - Jan. 17: Afghan Detention of U.S. Contractors "Deeply Troubling, Unwarranted"

http://bit.ly/10mOUXQ

FCW: Cavalry not coming for acquisition workforce

http://bit.ly/WbIxQK

Washington Post: Focus on lowest bidder allowed contractor deaths in fireworks accident, report says

http://wapo.st/Wo1lgc

Bloomberg: How Congress Wrecked a Smart Debt-Ceiling Fix

http://buswk.co/XkGhXr

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

SmartContracting DailyIntel for Dec. 11, 2012

In today's news...

Washington Business Journal: Regulation by deviation: Agencies get around public input requirement before rule-making

http://bit.ly/S4yvEC

Federal News Radio: Senators press Army on suspension and debarment delays

http://bit.ly/VxFn97

Washington Business Journal: Feds to support U.S. contractors competing for foreign work

http://bit.ly/UeGqdZ

AOL Government: Adm. Thad Allen On Innovation And Re-Imagining Homeland Security

http://aol.it/Uxc1q2

Washington Post: Where things really stand in the fiscal cliff negotiations

http://wapo.st/Uxc4lT

Defense News: DoD Acquisition Reform Pushing Change in People

http://bit.ly/XOxsdu

Friday, June 22, 2012

SmartContracting Daily Intel for June 22, 2012

Happy Friday. Before the weekend starts we bring you more news you can use about sequestration.

Washington Post: Study: Across-the-board defense cuts could cost 1 million jobs

http://wapo.st/MJHtkO

Washington Post: Senate wants reports on how automatic budget cuts will affect domestic, defense programs

http://wapo.st/PHtU66

GCN: IT industry calls for consistent global cybersecurity policies

http://bit.ly/NZM1Wz

Washington Technology: 5 ways the defense industry can fight sequestration

http://bit.ly/O4a33K

Government Executive: Pentagon expansion of acquisition staff hurt by funding uncertainties

http://bit.ly/Moh5hb

Friday, May 18, 2012

Contractors Feel the Fiscal Pinch

In recent weeks, there has been a cry from some on the Hill and from some federal employee unions that government contractors aren’t suffering enough in the current fiscal austerity environment. They point to federal government pay and hiring freezes as examples of the unfairness. But this rhetoric ignores basic facts about the contractors’ lot.

In a recent column in BNA’s Federal Contracts Report, PSC Vice President of Government Relations Roger Jordan details exactly how government contractors have felt the pinch of the government's austerity budgets. Jordon concludes that, as a result of direct government actions to reduce federal spending on services contracts, “contractors have already borne a far greater brunt of the [austerity] reductions than has the federal workforce, and all indications are that this will continue to be the case.”

Read Jordan's column, reproduced with BNA’s permission, here.