Trump officials explain his plan to make government acquisition great, for once

Federal procurement policy is often a laughingstock — and for good reason. Stories of the government paying for $10,000 toilet seats, $1,200 coffee cups and $16,000 minifridges abound. Waste, confusion and red tape is also the status quo. But under President Trump’s leadership, revolutionary reform is finally here. For the first time, common sense, innovation, competition and value will win the day in federal procurement.

As the world’s largest buyer spending nearly $1 trillion on procurement contracts each year, the federal government should be promoting agility, competition and results. Instead, our procurement process, after decades of regulatory buildup, does the precise opposite. It benefits ineffective and entrenched vendors who can afford massive compliance costs at the expense of everyone else — most importantly, the taxpayer.

Procurement is governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), which clocks in at a whopping 2,000-plus pages, 3,000-plus directives and a weight of more than five pounds. It’s a byzantine maze that has been roundly criticized by everyone who has ever had to deal with it, both in and out of government. Reform is long overdue and it is finally here.

(Editor’s note: President Trump issued his executive order, “Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement,” in the late afternoon on April 15). 

This administration will overhaul the FAR with plain English, eliminate nearly all non-statutory and duplicative regulations, remove DEI, waste, and wokeness and add helpful buyer guides in place of requirements. We will no longer procure useless and wasteful products like paper straws. We will focus on results above all else — the best products and services at the best cost.

The status quo breeds inefficiency, stagnation and bloat. Each provision and contract clause, which are often obsolete, duplicative and conflict with each other, must be perfectly and painstakingly followed. Obviously, this makes it so that only companies with an army of lawyers and consultants have a fighting chance at winning contracts. A company may have the best product in the market and can produce it for pennies on the dollar, but if they can’t afford the excessive compliance costs, they’re at an almost insurmountable disadvantage. Streamlining these regulations will boost competition and innovation while, most importantly, decreasing the ultimate cost to the taxpayer.

Besides sheer numbers, some of the FAR provisions are just plain foolish. Take, for example, a FAR clause that requires contractors to submit every single paper document double-sided on paper with “at least 30% postconsumer fiber.”

Or a requirement that all contractors must conduct employee trainings and education initiatives against texting and driving. This requirement came about when the iPhone was brand new. Now, nearly every state and territory ban texting while driving, and multiple federal and state agencies run campaigns against distracted driving. Does this duplicative provision really need to be inserted into every federal contract?

These two directives represent less than one-half of one percent of the total — and the FAR is riddled with such examples. Tens of thousands of government employees are required to enforce the complex regulations, and private businesses must spend time and money complying with directives that often contradict themselves or make no sense. All this for a subpar and costly outcome on the taxpayer dime.

We’re also bringing an unprecedented level of transparency to the procurement process with a brand-new website, so that any member of industry or the general public can easily stay informed on regulatory updates, buyer guides and the overall process. 

 “Good enough for government work” is no longer good enough. Taxpayers, industry and government alike, rejoice: The revolutionary FAR overhaul starts today.  

Dr. Kevin Rhodes is a senior advisor at the Office of Management and Budget.
Stephen Ehikian is the acting administrator of the General Services Administration.
Josh Gruenbaum is the commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service within GSA.