What’s the latest on the “fiscal cliff” showdown? At press time, the White House was still holding firm on reducing the deficit by allowing expiration of the Bush tax cuts for the highest earners, while GOP leaders offered an alternative package that included closing tax loopholes and cuts to Medicare and Social Security. Analysts say it is significant that Republicans have put increased tax revenues on the table for the first time, and some see signs of a potential deal to put a downpayment on the deficit now, while doing a fuller revision of taxes and entitlements in early 2013.

Have you signed up as a potential contractor for post-Hurricane Sandy debris removal and cleanup yet? The Army Corps of Engineers has set up a Hurricane Recovery Registry for registering contractors for the cleanup effort: https://apps.swf.usace.army.mil/Hurricane/Business.

Meanwhile, some contractors in New York City are upset with the Army Corps’ handling of the Sandy cleanup, according to the New York Daily News. Local companies paying their workers higher union wages said they have lost work to out-of-state contractors working for the Army Corps under a pre-existing contract. Army Corps officials were not immediately available.

More information: NY Daily News story: http://goo.gl/pqnER

The White House is reviving a plan to offer $25 billion in tax breaks that aim to help small businesses hire workers or pay them higher salaries, according to the Washington Post.

The tax breaks would refund 10% of the cost of new payroll, up to a total of $500,000 next year.

The White House said the credit would help nearly 2 million small businesses.

More information: Washington Post http://goo.gl/KABup

Federal spending on “big data” initiatives is projected to reach $7.2 billion by fiscal 2017, according to a new study by Deltek.

Big data initiatives involve collecting and analyzing complex data, typically with data sets of an exabyte or greater in size.

Deltek tabulated current federal spending on contractor-supplied big data solutions at $4.9 billion for fiscal 2012.

While tight budgets mean slowing growth overall for federal information technology, big data is expected to be a bright spot, Deltek said.

Expansion is anticipated in big data solutions for transportation, urban development, protecting resources, developing cures for diseases, counterterrorism, public safety and more.

More information: Deltek report http://goo.gl/QoTt1

It’s the holiday season, which is considered a gift-giving season, to put it mildly. But government contractors might be well advised to emulate Scrooge in order to comply with strict federal regulations.

While gifts are common in business, the rules are very different for the federal government, Steve Koprince, government contracts attorney, wrote in a recent article.

“For government contractors, giving gifts to federal employees can result in fines or even jail time. Every government contractor should understand and follow the government’s rules on gifts,” Koprince warns.

The most basic rule is don’t give a gift to any federal employee if your company is working for the employee’s agency, trying to get work there, or your company would be affected by the worker’s performance of his or her duties.

Here’s more of Koprince’s advice: http://goo.gl/o7nam

More information: Inspector General’s report http://goo.gl/GqlBW

Acuity Business Solutions also published a Government Contractor Gift-Giving Guide for more tips to get you through New Year’s.

Get it here: http://goo.gl/u7daR

The Veterans Affairs Department issued a final rule on requiring contractors to submit invoices electronically, effective Dec. 27.

The interim rule was released in April. No comments were received during the 60-day comment period, the VA said in a Federal Register notice on Nov. 27.

The department said in its notice that the new rule will not have a substantial impact on small businesses.

Read the Federal Register notice here: http://goo.gl/rXHcQ

The Air Force has finally canceled its failed $1 billion logistics system known as the Expeditionary Combat Support System, according to Air Force Times.

Controller Jamie Morin previously admitted publicly that the system had “negligible” capability, despite seven years’ effort.

Officials canceled the project because continuing it would have cost another $1 billion to obtain just 25% of the initial projected capability, with fielding projected in 2020.

Air Force officials attributed most of the problems to the prime contractor, Computer Sciences Corp., and to Oracle software. (CSC and Oracle officials were not immediately available to comment.)

More information: Air Force Times http://goo.gl/ry3dE