PSC to prez: Rescind labor law compliance order

Professional Services Council President Stan Soloway urged the White House to withdraw its Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces executive order saying it is unfair and burdensome.

“As constructed, this executive order is fundamentally unfair, vague, complex and inexecutable. It will be costly, burdensome and is simply unnecessary,” Soloway testified at a House subcommittee hearing.

Under the order, federal contractors must disclose labor law violations before getting a contract. Agencies were advised to penalize only the firms with egregious violations (See Aug. 8, 2014 issue of Set-Aside Alert).

But Soloway contends that the language also would hurt contractors who settled allegations without findings of guilt. “The executive order fails to meet the most basic test of due process,” Soloway claimed.

More information: PSC statement: http://goo.gl/HS106s

DOD database flawed

The Defense Department has not planned for ongoing operation of its contingency contracting database, according to the Government Accountability Office.

DOD doesn't know what resources it needs to sustain the Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker-Enterprise Suite (SPOT-ES), GAO said.

More information: GAO report http://www.gao.gov/assets/670/668568.pdf

Paper-less procurement

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is trying out a “paper-less procurement” initiative through its new Interactive Acquisition Network.

“We chose paper-less, not paper-free because there’s always going to be some amount of paper,” said Martin Johnson, manager of the Acquisition Strategic Planning Office, told GCN newspaper.

More information: http://goo.gl/8ENQPk

DHS shutdown averted

Congress passed legislation to fund the Homeland Security Department for the remainder of the fiscal year, averting a threatened shutdown.

Conservative GOP lawmakers previously had blocked funding to show their opposition to President Obama’s immigration orders.

Chabot focuses on contractor aid in SBA budget

FedBid is back

Obama: SBA to merge into new agency

Contractors can complain to OSC

Column: OFCCP proposes update to sex discrimination guidelines

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