SmallGovCon Week In Review: August 14-18, 2017

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With what is being deemed “The Great American Eclipse” ready to hit the skies on Monday, there is a lot of excitement in the air here in Lawrence. We are just off the path of totality and are expecting 99.3% coverage. My colleagues and family will be outside (with protective eyewear of course) and witness this amazing moment. As for me, I’ll be in San Diego, speaking at the 2017 Department of the Navy Gold Coast Conference which will drop my near total eclipse view down to a partial eclipse of about 58% coverage–but it’s well worth it to be part of this great event.

Before I take off for the West Coast, it’s time for the latest SmallGovCon Week In Review. This week, two Senators have filed an amendment to the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act called the Modernizing Government Technology Act, an “Amazon-like” procurement system might not be too far off, a company is forced to repay millions of dollars amid allegations of overcharging the government, and much more.

  • The bipartisan Modernizing Government Technology Act is being attached as an amendment to the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act in hopes of improving its chances of being approved. [Federal News Radio]
  • With six weeks left in FY 2017, budget experts are warning federal contractors to begin planning for a possible government shutdown. [Federal News Radio]
  • A provision in the House version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act may soon make ordering office supplies, equipment, or even contract services as easy as placing an order on Amazon. [Government Executive]
  • A contractor will pay $9.2 million dollars to settle allegations of overbilling the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard for labor charges. [WLOX]
  • Government contracts sales guru Eileen Kent provides some pointers for businesses interested in cashing in on opportunities available at the end of the federal fiscal year. [Government Product News]
  • A lawsuit by the American Small Business League, heading for trial, alleges that some large defense contractors manipulate data to falsely claim they are meeting their small business subcontracting targets. [Forbes]