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What you need to know about Trump’s plan for government

January 25, 2017 by Chris Wiedemann Leave a comment

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By Chris Wiedemann, consultant

Trying to read the tea leaves on the Trump administration’s technology priorities has been a challenge for all of us in the industry. But we got a little more clarity on how the new administration would like to manage the executive branch with a report last week outlining a new budget, including appropriations language that President Trump plans to submit in “mid to late April.”

While we haven’t seen the budget itself (and, as always, the appropriations committees will have significant input into the process), reading the Heritage Foundation report that Trump’s budget is purportedly based on reveals some potentially dramatic changes to executive agencies, particularly in the civilian sector. Those potential changes include:

FY16 Priorities for IRS, DHA, and DOS

August 6, 2015 by Chris Wiedemann Leave a comment

by Chris Wiedemann, Senior Analyst

Although September is right around the corner (and most of us are preparing ourselves for a few white-knuckle weeks), it’s important to remember that we’re slightly under two months away from another important date: October 1, the first day of government’s 2016 fiscal year. In case you didn’t know, the government will likely begin the year under a continuing resolution (CR) (assuming there isn’t another shutdown). The twelve appropriations bills that would make up the FY16 budget are nowhere close to being passed into law. Moreover, given other priorities facing Congress along with the House’s lengthy August recess, it seems unlikely we’ll see any new funding levels to start the fiscal year. This means you should prepare yourselves for FY16 by referring back to your customers’ FY15 requirements and initiatives.

While it’s helpful to refer to FY15 budget levels when planning your sales efforts, having a solid grasp on the FY16 funding requests is still important because it shows your customers’ future priorities. Although the government might not start the year off with the flexibility new appropriations would give them, operating under CRs is par for the course for federal IT managers these days. They are still able to achieve their missions, and in many cases, carry out new initiatives in the face of funding constraints.

Congress Votes to Raise Debt Ceiling

February 13, 2014 by Chris Wiedemann Leave a comment

by Chris Wiedemann, Senior Analyst

The House passed a bill Tuesday to raise the debt ceiling, in a 221-201 vote marked by a distinct lack of the rancor that has accompanied similar legislation in the last two years. As of yesterday, the bill has also passed in the Senate, which eliminates any chance of default well in advance of the current debt ceiling (estimated to have been the end of this month).