Trump Orders Overhaul of Federal Procurement Regulations

President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping overhaul of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) system, aiming to streamline and simplify the federal procurement process, which currently spans over 2,000 pages and governs nearly $1 trillion in annual government spending. The initiative, led by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy and the FAR Council, seeks to eliminate redundant, non-statutory, and complex regulations, prioritize commercially available products, and remove requirements deemed inefficient or unnecessary. The administration asserts these changes will lower barriers for new businesses, reduce costs, and enhance competition by ending advantages held by large, entrenched vendors who can absorb significant compliance costs. Agencies must quickly designate senior procurement officials and propose supplemental reforms, while interim guidance will be issued as the FAR is rewritten. The overhaul is intended to focus procurement on results and value for taxpayers, with the removal of what the administration terms as 'DEI and wokeness' and an emphasis on plain English rules. The timeline for the implementation is aggressive, with some immediate changes possible through class deviations, though congressional mandates within the FAR will remain untouched.