GovConJudicata Weekly Debrief (6/12–16)

This week's Weekly Debrief covers revolving door changes in upcoming NDAA, lawmakers targeting military contractor price gouging, defense contractors and interoperability, and NASA's obstacles regarding commercializing SLS,

Congress

Roll Call – NDAA could address Pentagon’s ‘revolving door’

• "Lawmakers in both chambers are looking to rewrite the ethics and lobbying rules that affect Pentagon officials, retired brass, executives with U.S. defense contractors and even foreign governments. The issue could be a key part of the developing debate over the fiscal 2024 defense authorization bills, which the Armed Services committees plan to finish writing next week."

CBS News – Lawmakers again target military contractors' price gouging

• "A bipartisan group of lawmakers is set to reintroduce a bill to rein in price gouging by military contractors, CBS News has learned. The Stop Price Gouging the Military Act, first introduced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. John Raymond Garamendi in June of last year, would close acquisition law loopholes, tie financial incentives for contractors to performance and provide the Department of Defense with information needed to prevent future rip-offs."

Defense

DefenseOne – Become Interoperable or Disappear, Former DOD Data Chief Tells Contractors

• "Major defense companies must adopt truly interoperable data standards, or they’ll soon find themselves obsolete, according to the Pentagon’s ex-data chief. 'If you're not making yourself and your company capable of interoperating in an automated manner at mass, you're probably not going to find yourself at the table much more,' David Spirk, now a senior counselor at Palantir, said during Defense One’s Tech Summit on Thursday."

NASA

The Hill – NASA’s obstacles to commercializing the Space Launch System are mounting

• "Reuters reports that NASA is urging Boeing and Northrop to commercialize the Space Launch System (SLS). On the surface, it’s a good strategy. The SLS is horrendously expensive to process and launch. If the monster rocket’s two main contractors can find other customers, the launch cost will decline. Cost cutting is an important consideration, thanks to the pressure on NASA’s budget because of the debt ceiling deal. The planned House Appropriations Committee 2024 spending levels could be devastating to the space agency."

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