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Lawmakers announce deal to avoid government shutdown

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Lawmakers announced last Thursday that they have reached an agreement that would avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.

At a conference committee meeting on Thursday, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said lawmakers would push that timeframe back until at least Dec. 7 with a continuing resolution.

That measure would only put some agencies on autopilot, as lawmakers are poised to pass full-year, line-by-line appropriations for most of the government in the coming weeks. Congress was expected on Thursday to send President Trump the first package of spending bills, a “minibus” that funds the departments of Veterans Affairs, Energy and related agencies, as well as the legislative branch. The White House indicated this week that President Trump would sign the measure into law.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.govexec.com/management/2018/09/lawmakers-announce-deal-avoid-shutdown/151246/

Shutdown advice for contractors: If a stop-work order comes, stop work

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Congress’s progress on its 12 annual spending bills for fiscal 2019 means “we’re in pretty good shape ” for funding federal agencies, David Berteau, president and CEO of the 400-member Professional Services Council, told his contractor members in a webinar last Wednesday.

Congressional appropriators have reported all spending bills from committee, with a half-dozen approved by full chambers, Berteau noted, lawmakers’ most productive pace in 12 or 13 years. But with only 11 legislative days left before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30, there is a “slim chance” of all 12 getting through conference or a major negotiated omnibus deal, which is why it is “prudent” for agencies and contractors to prepare for the possibility of a lapse in appropriations. Getting all the bills signed by Oct. 1 “is subject to a lot of decisions affected by both votes and politics,” Berteau said.

“The reason we [present preparation guidance for our members] is not to predict a [shutdown]–we hope there is no government shutdown,” added Alan Chvotkin, PSC’s executive vice president and counsel, but because reacting to agency closures “is an arcane area.”

Keep reading this article at: https://www.govexec.com/contracting/2018/08/shutdown-advice-contractors-if-stop-work-order-comes-stop-work/150578/

The next gov’t shutdown: How contractors can prepare

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Congress’ short-term spending bill signed on Jan. 22, 2018 ended the nearly three-day government shutdown. As this spending bill only appropriated funding for government operations for three weeks, however, and does not resolve the underlying political disputes, it is unlikely to put an end to shutdown politics for good, or even for long.

Participants in the federal market would be wise to review the issues and challenges presented by shutdowns in order to remain prepared for what may come.

What Activities Can Continue During a Shutdown?

During a shutdown, federal contractors must determine whether they may continue performing. A government shutdown is not a self-executing stop-work order; a shutdown itself does not suspend a company’s obligations to perform or the government’s obligation to pay for performance. What matters is whether a contractor’s work requires any new appropriation or authorization of spending, and whether critical government personnel, facilities, and resources are available.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=666774

Also see DoD’s Jan. 18, 2018 Shutdown Guidance (Jan. 18 2018) at: https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/GUIDANCE-FOR-CONTINUATION-OF-OPERATIONS-DURING-A-LAPSE-OF-APPROPRIATIONS.pdf,

What federal contractors should do during the government shutdown

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Government employees aren’t the only ones who are wondering what they’ll be doing on Monday if Congress can’t reach a budget agreement; federal contractors are also facing a lot of uncertainty.

Depending on when their contract was funded, what agency they’re with, what they’re doing, and where they work out of, some contractors may continue working as if nothing has changed.

If the federal personnel the contractor works alongside is locked out, the contractor may be too.

There are a lot of variables at play and most of them look to be less than ideal for contractors, who in most cases will lose money during this ordeal. But while everyone hopes this will remain a short-term dispute, there are a couple of ways contractors can use the time away from federal job sites more productively.

Keep reading this article at: https://wtop.com/government/2018/01/federal-contractors-government-shutdown/

 

 

Impact of a shutdown on contractors means lost wages, project delays

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Government contractors are often overlooked when it comes to the threat of a government shutdown. And as the most current threat becomes more and more real, many are waiting for guidance from their agency customers.

“We are hearing there is a lack of communication,” said David Berteau, the CEO of the Professional Services Council, an industry association. “We saw cases in 2013 where the contracting officer and contracting officer representative for a program gave direction to the contractor and put them on the list of cleared individuals, but when they showed up at the base or installation, there was no guard or the guard didn’t let them in. There were a lot of those disconnects in 2013. If a shutdown happens this time, the same thing may happen.”

PSC, the IT Alliance for Public Sector and the Coalition for Government Procurement are offering resources centers for contractors as they plan for a possible partial shutdown.

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsradio.com/government-shutdown/2018/01/impact-of-a-shutdown-on-contractors-means-lost-wages-project-delays/

Government contractor shutdown advisory

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With yet another government shutdown looming, contractors face a number of uncertainties and challenges that warrant close attention — regardless of whether a shutdown takes place or how long it lasts.

Among other challenges, contractors may face:

  • a lack of incremental funding;
  • the inability to enter into new contracts or contract modifications;
  • closed government facilities;
  • furloughed government employees;
  • delayed payments;
  • increased indirect costs; and
  • unexercised and deferred contract options.

Below we offer six suggestions to help address key areas impacted by a shutdown, including contract funding, internal and external communications, recordkeeping, and deadlines.

Keep reading this article at: https://governmentcontractsnavigator.com/2018/01/19/government-contractor-shutdown-advisory/

See which government units would get furloughed in a 2017 shutdown

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Government contractors are affected by government shutdowns.  And a slew of federal agencies for the first time since 2015 have updated their shutdown contingency plans, noting who would continue to work and who would get sent home in the event Congress fails to reach a budget deal just before Christmas.

Before President Trump on Dec. 8 signed a stopgap measure to stave off a shutdown for two additional weeks, White House officials warned agencies during a phone call led by the Office of Management in Budget they should begin preparing for a lapse in appropriations. Lawmakers now have through Dec. 22 to pass a measure to keep agencies open.  Another OMB-led phone call will likely take place before the new deadline.

An update to OMB guidance during the Obama administration required agencies to refresh their shutdown plans at least every two years starting in 2015. Nearly all agencies updated their documents spelling out who would or would not be furloughed in September of that year, but — until recently — agencies had not updated their plans this year. As of Monday, 56 agencies submitted their updated shutdown guidance to OMB detailing who they would furlough under a 2017 appropriations lapse.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2017/12/see-who-would-get-furloughed-2017-shutdown/144463 

How to survive a government shutdown

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Does your company participate in federal contracts?  Whether they’re the majority of your business or a relatively small share of your total project work, successfully enduring a shutdown in federal government activities requires preparation. This article explains how to do that.

Top tips:

  • Meet with the project’s contracting officer in advance to determine its status in the event of a shutdown.
  • Review the contract to determine what shutdown-related costs are billable.
  • Collect as much information about the project as possible.
  • Remedy any payment concerns in advance.
  • Request a time extension on the contract.
  • In the event of a shutdown, unless otherwise ordered, show up to the site and document being turned away or that the site was inaccessible.
  • Prepare to increase capacity to the project once the shutdown ends.

Read the full article here: http://www.constructiondive.com/news/how-to-survive-a-government-shutdown/504122/

 

4 things for contractors to remember in planning for a possible government shutdown

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With six weeks left in fiscal 2017, budget experts are warning federal contractors that it’s only prudent to begin preparations for the possibility of a government shutdown on Oct. 1.

Lawmakers will have just a few weeks left to develop a budget compromise when they return from August recess before the current spending resolution expires Sept. 30.

House lawmakers passed the Make America Secure Appropriations Act, a “minibus” of spending bills that sets appropriations for the departments of Defense, Energy, Interior, Veterans Affairs and other agencies, as well as the legislative branch. The Senate has passed no appropriations bills yet.

But as budget experts encourage federal contractors to begin preparing for the worst, there is some good news.

Agency contracting officers and senior leadership are more practiced in handling these situations now than they did at the start of the last shutdown in October 2013.

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsradio.com/government-shutdown/2017/08/4-things-for-contractors-to-remember-in-planning-for-a-possible-government-shutdown/

Defense contractors begin early shutdown preparations

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Contractors should immediately begin communicating with their contracting officers about the impacts of a potential government shutdown this fall, former executive branch officials and industry experts warned on Monday.

Already, said David Berteau, who served for 14 years at the Defense Department before becoming president of the Professional Services Council, the contracting community is “way ahead” of where the government is in terms of shutdown preparation. Still, he and other experts cautioned, companies should develop and maintain good relationships with civil servants now so they can solicit information from them as a potential appropriations lapse draws closer.

Agencies will be forced to shutter their doors on Oct. 1 — or, more realistically, Oct. 2, which is a Monday — if Congress fails to pass a spending bill to set agency funding for fiscal 2018. Representatives from business contracting with government gathered at PSC’s headquarters in Arlington, Va., on Aug. 14th to hear tips and advice for how they should prepare for such an outcome.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.defenseone.com/politics/2017/08/defense-contractors-begin-early-shutdown-preparations/140268/

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