GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
KEY PRIORITIES
❖ Restore Regular Order & Timely Budgets for Appropriations
The annual budget process is broken. Congress has the exclusive constitutional power to legislate and appropriate
funds for the operation of the government. Yet, too often Congress fails to execute this constitutional obligation in
accordance with the annual budget cycle that is necessary to ensure the orderly operation of the government. For
government contractors and their employees and federal government employees, this can lead to financial uncertainty;
disruptive continuing resolutions of unpredictable length; funding gaps for contracts; limits on appropriations to fund
new work; costly delays in contract awards; and even temporary shutdowns of the government and contract
performance. As a member of Congress, I will be dedicated to executing a timely ordered appropriations process,
including consideration of biennial budgets and multi-year appropriations to provide stability for contractors,
government operations, and military readiness.
❖ Strengthen Requirement for Commercial Item Contracts & Commercial Terms & GAO Review
Procurement of commercial products/solutions/services (including cloud services) reduces risk, increases competition,
improves pricing, provides greater access to innovation, and improves security. Yet, while current law states a strong
preference for the acquisition of commercial items and government contracting based on commercial terms (i.e., to the
“maximum extent practicable”), far too many agencies deviate from this Congressional direction with burdensome
requirements that limit competition as well as opportunities for small businesses; deprive the government of the
benefits of commercial innovation; and impose terms (for example, warranty and cybersecurity provisions) that are
inconsistent with commercial terms and pricing. In Congress, I will sponsor legislation to strengthen the government
preference for commercial products/solutions/services and contracts based on commercial terms; and require GAO to
periodically review agency procurement practices to ensure compliance by agencies.
❖ FedRAMP: Mandate Single, Uniform Authority to Operate & Streamline the Authorization Process
The current FedRAMP process is untenable: a 12–18-month FedRAMP authorization process followed by individual
agencies conducting their own independent reviews and imposing their own insular requirements that add significantly
more time and cost to the authorization process. This current structure only serves to lock-in incumbents for sole
source awards, grossly impede new entrants, and stifle competition and innovation. To address these issues and better
achieve the goals of FedRAMP (i.e., to accelerate the adoption of secure cloud services by federal agencies), I will, as
a member of Congress, sponsor legislation that will mandate a single uniform Authority to Operate standard that shall
apply across the government (with limited exceptions; for example, classified data) and process improvements to speed
the authorization process for cloud vendors, which will provide the government better access to secure, innovative,
price competitive cloud services and enhanced contracting opportunities for cloud vendors.
❖ Mandate Cybersecurity Standardization
Currently, there are multiple, disparate cybersecurity initiatives, including the Cybersecurity Maturity Model
Certification (CMMC), Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs) requirements, new pending FAR cybersecurity
provisions, and the work of the Federal Acquisition Security Council (FASC), in various stages of government review
and/or public comment as well as individual agencies developing their own unique cybersecurity requirements. This is
completely unworkable. There must be a consistent standard across the government. In Congress, I will sponsor
legislation that directs OMB to standardize cybersecurity requirements for government agencies with an emphasis on
leveraging commercial standards (except in the limited circumstances of a unique government security use case).