Sounds familiar? The clock ticks towards another fiscal deadline while federal agencies and employees face the threat of another government shutdown. Since the passage of the Budget Control Act of 2011 (Public Law 112-25) and the subsequent sequestration process, Congress and the White House have been locked in an ongoing battle over tax and spending … Continue Reading
On May 15th, the Senate gave final approval, by a vote of 83-14, to S. 601, the Water Resources Development Act of 2013. As we indicated previously, any legislation authorizing additional funds for water infrastructure projects is remarkable in these times of sequestration. In this case, credit the difference, in large part, to two factors: … Continue Reading
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (“EPW”) marked up legislation Wednesday that provides millions for dredging, hurricane risk reduction and environmental restoration projects. Normally, Congress providing funds for water infrastructure projects would not seem that remarkable. However, with sequestration cuts impacting defense to domestic spending, as well as a ban in place on earmarking … Continue Reading
The March 1st sequester deadline has passed with no alternative in place. That means $85 billion in sequestration cuts are underway, as mandated by Congress in the Budget Control Act of 2011 (Public Law 112-240). Even though the cuts to defense and domestic discretionary spending have not fully taken effect, Congress and the White House … Continue Reading
The Sequestration steamroller is set to hit March 1, 2013 and we continue to monitor negotiations between the White House and Congress. The impact for Federal Fiscal Year 2013 will be compressed, given that the fiscal year is almost one-half over. While final spending decisions are not yet made, it is clear that federal grant … Continue Reading
Sequestration. It’s a process in Washington where thoughtful decisions on spending and taxation priorities are being replaced with last minute politicking, grandstanding, and eventual 11th hour deal-making. The latest showdown revolves around the March 1st deadline agreed to by Congress and the President in the budget deal negotiated in December (Public Law 112-240). That is … Continue Reading
As many inside the Beltway know, the Budget Control Act of 2011 imposes automatic and wide-reaching cuts if the U.S. government fails to reach an agreement on fiscal policy (commonly known as sequestration). Unless Congress acts, the President is required to order cuts of approximately $85 billion from the federal budget on March 1, 2013. … Continue Reading
In response to the tragic shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, President Obama has proposed 23 Executive Actions to deal with gun violence. If fully enacted, these proposals would address gun violence by providing additional funds for security measures at schools; tightening background checks for gun purchases, including requiring checks for gun transactions conducted by private sellers; … Continue Reading
This post was also written by Robert Helland and Gunjan Talati. Congress and the Obama Administration have driven the economy from the “Fiscal Cliff,” with the last-minute tax and spending deal that is expected to be signed into law. But it’s a Pyrrhic victory: the battle over taxes and spending will go on (and on) … Continue Reading
This post was also written by Gunjan Talati and Robert Helland. While the world did not end Friday, December 21, 2012, as some had feared, last Friday still struck terror in the hearts of many government contractors. That’s because last Friday, lawmakers and the president embarked on their recesses, leaving the budget talks unresolved, and … Continue Reading
