Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report: Whistleblowers, VA Should Assess Data and Monitor Settlement Agreements to Better Ensure Protections - On July 31, GAO released a report reviewing the characteristics of VA...more
In the first two months of President Trump’s second term, his administration has sought to redefine “illegal” diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (“DEIA”) programs....more
Hours after taking office, Trump signed a stack of executive orders to implement his agenda, including several that take aim at DEI programs. The executive orders claim that DEI policies and programs violate federal civil...more
The Department of Defense (DOD) is taking steps to comply with President Trump’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)-related Executive Orders (EOs). In a memorandum dated January 28, 2025, DOD’s Acquisition and...more
On Feb. 5, OPM issued a memorandum providing additional guidance regarding the President’s three executive orders entitled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” “Ending Illegal Discrimination...more
Following up on the Trump Administration’s series of executive orders and statements regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI or DEIA) programs, on February 5, 2025, both the Office of Personnel...more
Date Issued: Jan. 20, 2025 This executive order eliminates any and all "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" programs throughout the federal government. The termination includes "Chief Diversity Officers," "Equity Action...more
The Department of Defense (DoD) is moving forward with eliminating Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs under Executive Order Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, dated January 20,...more
When a new presidential administration results in a new party occupying the White House, taxpayers often expect myriad government and public policy changes will soon follow. Hewing that truism, President Trump began his...more
In the wake of what was already a series of tumultuous changes to the federal real estate landscape, two new developments have fundamentally changed the outlook for federal real estate over the next few years....more
On January 20, the White House released an Executive Order Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing. This order rescinded the Biden-era pro-DEI orders, including the mandate for federal agencies to...more
On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order, titled Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing (the Executive Order), which, in part, directs federal agencies to terminate federal...more
The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), assisted by the Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), shall coordinate the termination of all discriminatory programs,...more
Federal hiring is seeing a resurgence in its transformation with the Chance to Compete Act of 2024, a law designed to prioritize skills-based assessments over traditional hiring methods such as the use of degree requirements...more
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Proposed Rule: Prevailing Rate Systems, Change in Criteria for Defining Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System (FWS) Wage Areas - On October 11, OPM published a proposed rule and...more
A bill to "dismantle" DEI was introduced in Congress. Two Senate Republicans introduced a bill that, if passed, would effectively eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion in the federal government. The bill is...more
On January 29, the 15th anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, President Joe Biden announced initiatives aimed at achieving pay equity for the federal workforce and employees of federal contractors. ...more
On April 27, President Biden issued an Exhibit Order (EO) on Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors raising the minimum wage for federal contractors, covered subcontractors, and lower-tier subcontractors by 27%...more
In a surprising turn of events, the White House has announced today President Trump’s intent to nominate current OFCCP Director Craig Leen to the position of Inspector General of the Office of Personnel Management....more
Data privacy litigation and enforcement actions continue to roil the private sector, most recently with the FTC’s announcement of a $425 million settlement with Equifax in the wake of the Equifax data breach. Less discussed...more
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING - The Department of Defense issued a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement to implement section 2804 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year...more
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT - Performance-Based Payments and Progress Payments (DFARS Case 2017-D019) - The Department of Defense (DOD) is withdrawing the proposed rule on performance-based payments and progress payments that it...more
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT - Class Deviation-Commercial Items Omnibus Clause for Acquisitions Using the Standard Procurement System - According to an article on acq.osd.mil, this class deviation rescinds and supersedes Class...more
On Wednesday, September 7, Republicans on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released a report detailing the events leading up to the sweeping hack of the federal Office of...more
On August 14, 2015, a class action was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of about 21.5 million federal employees, contractors, and job applicants whose personal information was...more