Adding to his already record number of executive orders, President Donald Trump signed several more Tuesday, including two he says will simplify and expedite the federal purchasing and contracting processes.
In “Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement,” Trump calls for the reform of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, a 2,000-page document guiding federal agencies in the purchasing of goods and services.
“Since its inception over 40 years ago, the FAR has ballooned to more than 2,000 pages of regulations, creating an onerous bureaucracy that undermines timely delivery of high-value products and services,” a White House fact sheet reads.
During a recent Congressional hearing, one expert testified that the federal government had spent $4.6 billion on furniture since 2021 alone.
Federal spending on consultants, software and more often can be a far more expensive, and less efficient, use of taxpayer dollars.
The order names several studies which have found that the regulation potentially obstructs its original purpose – to “deliver on a timely basis the best value product or service” and ensure the most effective use of the taxpayer dollar – rather than facilitating it.
Within six months, agency heads and acquisition and procurement officials are to cut the regulation down to only provisions required by statute or “otherwise necessary to support simplicity and usability.”
Federal contracts, according to the other order, have been used too often to procure custom products rather than those that are commercially available, slowing down government activities and amplifying costs for the American taxpayer.
“Ensuring Commercial, Cost-Effective Solutions in Federal Contracts” seeks to establish greater oversight and checks on non-commercial procurements, encouraging the purchase of commercial goods as much as possible.
