Sen. Tom Carper has asked Office of Management and Budget Director Shaun Donovan to provide information about OMB’s efforts to help agencies accelerate their procurement and implementation of cyber defense tools.
Carper told Donovan in a letter published Thursday that he wants the OMB to submit its response to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee within a 30-day period.
The Delaware Democrat seeks OMB’s explanation on how agencies use authorities stated in the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 and the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984 to buy modern commercial platforms against cyber threats.
He asked if the agency has implemented or plans to implement programs to encourage the use of existing laws, “other transaction authority” and contracting vehicles such as the General Services Administration‘s Schedule 70 and the Department of Homeland Security‘s Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation initiative.
Carper also seeks the agency’s opinion on the idea of allowing venture capital firms to participate in the GSA Schedule program advice on how emerging cybersecurity offerings should be considered under the CDM program.