U.S. Senator Joni Ernst joined Senators Chuck Grassley, Gary Peters, and Maggie Hassan in calling for the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council to implement overdue safeguards against conflicts of interest in federal contracting, according to a July 24 statement.
The senators said the council has not yet completed updates required by the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act, which was passed in 2022. The law mandates that federal contractors disclose potential conflicts before being awarded taxpayer-funded contracts and required updated acquisition rules within 18 months. More than two years later, these updates remain unfinished.
“Government agencies should know whether federal contractors’ outside business interests might conflict with their work for Americans. This law will ensure that federal contractors disclose potential conflicts before they are awarded taxpayer dollars. Implementation of the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest Act must be prioritized immediately to ensure compliance,” wrote the senators.
They requested that the FAR Council provide a clear timeline for implementing the act and an update on any remaining interagency coordination or review steps needed for finalizing the rule. “We therefore request that the FAR Council provide a timeline by which the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act will be implemented. Please also provide an update on any remaining interagency coordination or review steps necessary for the implementation of the final rule,” wrote the senators.
Ernst has previously led efforts such as her CONSULT Act to prevent defense consulting firms from working simultaneously with both U.S. agencies and countries like Russia or China.
The Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee supports informed decision-making on national fiscal priorities, offers Congress comprehensive policy options regarding budget components, features Lindsey Graham as chairman and Jeff Merkley as ranking member, contributes to congressional budget processes through resolutions and reconciliation instructions, was established by legislation in 1974, and provides nonpartisan budgetary analysis through oversight of the Congressional Budget Office, according to its official website.