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House Appropriations Committee OKs $24.6B in FY21 Financial Services, General Gov’t Funding
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House Appropriations Committee OKs $24.6B in FY21 Financial Services, General Gov’t Funding

A House panel has approved $24.6 billion in funding for the departments of the Treasury and Judiciary as well as the Executive Office of the President and independent agencies like the Small Business Administration.

The House Appropriations Committee said Wednesday it voted 30-22 to pass the draft Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) funding bill for fiscal year 2021.

The bill, which represents an $808 million increase in discretionary funding from FY 2020, includes $61 billion for broadband services and $6 billion for federal building refurbishment.

House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., said the bill also covers over $37 billion in lending authorities as well as budget increases for entrepreneurial development initiatives.

Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., said the FSGG bill brings focus to the integrity of U.S. markets while supporting small businesses and providing equal access to internet services.

“During these uncertain times it is important we do everything we can to provide Americans stability and ensure resources are available,” said Quigley, who heads the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee.

According to a Nextgov report, Quigley proposed amendments in the bill to support 5G infrastructure development and increased efforts to ban foreign-owned telecommunications providers like Huawei and ZTE in 5G initiatives.

The House panel additionally recommends the General Services Administration and Technology Modernization Fund to accelerate efforts to update citizen-facing services, according to the report.

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16th Air Force Gets Full Operational Capability Authorization; Timothy Haugh Quoted
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16th Air Force Gets Full Operational Capability Authorization; Timothy Haugh Quoted

The U.S. Air Force’s new cyber and information warfare-focused command unit has achieved full operational capability that certifies it for activities with the U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) and National Security Agency (NSA), C4ISRnet reported Wednesday.

Established in October 2019, 16th Air Force/Air Forces Cyber integrates the operations of the 24th and 25th AF that involve cyber, electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh, commander of 16th AF, told attendees at a Mitchell Institute webcast that the Air Force component will focus on driving convergence with partners such as the FBI and the departments of State and Homeland Security.

“In partnership with Air Combat Command as our lead [Major Command], we have now established the structure of the organization,” he said.  “We organized that staff really consistent with what a [joint task force] looks like."

According to Haugh, 16th AF also began standing up subordinate elements such as the J-39 responsible for coordinating information with combatant commands and the joint staff.

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USAF Physically Tests Gray Wolf Prototype Missile
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USAF Physically Tests Gray Wolf Prototype Missile

Air Force Research Laboratory and the 416th Flight Test Squadron have demonstrated a cruise missile prototype designed for subsonic, networked performance.

AFRL's Gray Wolf prototype missiles are built to operate as a group against objects that threaten air defense, AF Test Center said Tuesday. Gray Wolf also offers a variable payload feature.

The test took place at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., where the prototype demonstrated physical flight.

“Gray Wolf is a science and technology demonstration effort, intended as a proof of concept program,” said Conor Most, a flight test engineer from the 416th FLTS.

“With just one captive carry flight, the team learned more than in weeks or months of laboratory testing," he added, emphasizing the importance of physical testing as opposed to complete reliance on simulations.

The test follows a high-altitude flight trial of the missile's TDI-J85 engine earlier this year.

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Navy Commissions USS Tripoli Amphibious Assault Ship
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Navy Commissions USS Tripoli Amphibious Assault Ship

The U.S. Navy has commissioned the USS Tripoli or LHA 7 amphibious assault ship without a traditional large ceremony due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ship, third of its name, is now part of the naval force and has begun normal operations, the Navy said Wednesday.

“This ship will extend the maneuverability and lethality of our fleet to confront the many challenges of a complex world, from maintaining the sea lanes to countering instability to maintaining our edge in this era of renewed great power competition," Kenneth Braithwaite, secretary of the Navy.

USS Tripoli features a larger hangar deck, expanded facilities for aircraft maintenance, boosted aircraft fuel capacity and more equipment storage to better accommodate aviation needs.

The newly commissioned America-class LHA is also geared to operate with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and other aircraft to be used by the U.S. Marine Corps in the future.

Huntington Ingalls Industries christened the ship in 2017. The Navy is still considering a future celebratory event to commemorate USS Tripoli's fleet entry. 

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CDC Transitioning COVID-19 Data Analysis Operations to ‘HHS Protect’ System
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CDC Transitioning COVID-19 Data Analysis Operations to ‘HHS Protect’ System

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is implementing a new Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) technology to replace the National Health Safety Network (NHSN) for collecting COVID-19 patient data, FedScoop reported Wednesday.

CDC will discontinue its use of NHSN and deploy HHS Protect, which was developed in April and works to collate data from over 225 health systems and 20 state health departments.

HHS also procured Pittsburgh-based company TeleTracking Technologies' data management platform to help hospitals directly relay COVID-19 data such as treatments and emerging symptoms to the department.

Robert Redfield, director of CDC, said at a prior call with reporters that the move to HHS Protect will enable the center to mitigate duplication and NHSN to focus on long-term care centers and nursing homes.

“I think the change that you’ll see is when additional data elements are requested by HHS — that we think that we need to understand what’s happening across the United States — we will be asking hospitals to report that data,” noted Jose Arrieta, chief information officer of HHS.

The department also selected Palantir to provide technologies for COVID-19 data analysis and processing.

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Battelle CCDS Passed 3M Respirator Test; Lou Von Thaer Quoted
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Battelle CCDS Passed 3M Respirator Test; Lou Von Thaer Quoted

The Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System (CCDS) has passed both filtration efficiency and fit-related evaluations for its 1860 and 8210 3M respirators, Battelle CCDS reported on Thursday. 

“The Battelle CCDS was developed in response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, at the request of the FDA,” said Battelle president and CEO, and five-time Wash100 Award recipient Lou Von Thaer. “In 2020, after COVID-19 hit the U.S. and caused exactly the kind of PPE shortage this system was designed to address, CCDS was quickly mobilized as a stopgap measure to alleviate the N95 shortage.”

Battelle has successfully passed 3M’s evaluation and multiple decontamination processes on the fit and filtration performance of certain 3M N95s. Battelle CCDS was named an effective respirator decontamination for passing the four components of the test. 

3M has evaluated the effect of the Battelle CCDS process on the respirators tested and found that the decontamination process is not expected to have a detrimental impact on respirator filtration or fit for up to 20 cycles. 

Battelle also measured the residual hydrogen peroxide content to be below OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) concentration of 1 parts per million. The company’s system is compliant with the CDC guidance on Decontamination and Reuse of FFRs and has been studying ways to decontaminate filtering facepiece respirators for years.

The FDA confirmed in 2016 that Battelle’s process is safe and effective for decontaminating N95 respirators and a 2020 Duke University study found that “N95 respirators still met performance requirements even after decontamination with hydrogen peroxide vapor in the laboratory setting for over 50 times.” 

About Battelle 

Every day, the people of Battelle apply science and technology to solving what matters most. At major technology centers and national laboratories around the world, Battelle conducts research and development, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical services for government and commercial customers. 

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since its founding in 1929, Battelle serves the national security, health and life sciences, and energy and environmental industries.

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Deloitte Releases Midyear Aerospace and Defense Industry Outlook to Report Effects of COVID-19
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Deloitte Releases Midyear Aerospace and Defense Industry Outlook to Report Effects of COVID-19

Deloitte has recently released its Midyear Aerospace and Defense Industry Outlook that has analyzed the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the commercial aerospace, defense sectors and Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity, the company reported on Thursday.

Commercial aerospace has experienced a drastic decrease in demand for passenger travel and changing customer behaviors with the recent distancing restrictions, which could result in a higher demand for narrow-body aircraft. The impact of COVID-19 has also affected the commercial aerospace manufacturing supply chain, particularly for mid-to-lower-tier suppliers.

Deloitte has reported that the defense sector has remained stable and military projects have held strategic priority as the federal government continues to strengthen the defense industrial base (DIB).

The company noted that while the defense sector’s rate of growth may decrease in 2020, companies were largely insulated from large-scale disruption by steady defense budgets and beneficial policy decisions by the Department of Defense (DoD). While the sector has experienced temporary disruptions to defense supply chains, delays are expected to be minor.

In addition, M&A activity is expected to decrease as companies focus on liquidity as opposed to expansion. Deloitte’s report noted that companies are likely to become cautious within M&A. New policies that have restricted foreign investment in key components of the defense industrial base (DIB) could prevent international M&A deals in the near term.

To combat the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has posed, Deloitte stated that digital technologies were identified as the most important factor to combat fallout. These technologies will enhance productivity, efficiency and workplace safety.

Advanced technologies are expected to drive survival and recovery of companies and enable them to better position themselves by accelerating the adoption of advanced robotics and automation, which will make the manufacturing process more efficient as companies operate with reduced workforces.

About Deloitte

Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world’s most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500® and more than 7,000 private companies.

Our people work across the industry sectors that drive and shape today’s marketplace — delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthy society.

Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Now celebrating 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories.

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PSC Letter Urges Congress to Extend CARES Section 3610; David Berteau Quoted
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PSC Letter Urges Congress to Extend CARES Section 3610; David Berteau Quoted

The Professional Services Council (PSC) has published a letter to Congress, requesting an extension of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act designed to assist the federal contractor community during the COVID-19 crisis, PSC reported on Thursday.

“When the CARES Act was enacted, there was no clear estimation or understanding of the duration or magnitude of the impact of COVID-19. Today, it is apparent that COVID-19’s impact will clearly extend beyond September 30, 2020, and it is not possible to predict how long such authority will be needed,” said David Berteau, PSC president and CEO and two-time Wash100 awardee. 

PSC requested an extension of Section 3610 of the CARES Act to continue until Dec. 31 2020, or the expiration of the coronavirus public health emergency, whichever comes later. Section 3610 will reimburse contractors with employees who have been denied access to government-approved facilities and who are unable to telework because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The letter added that Section 3610 enables companies to retain skilled workers and key personnel, many with high-level security clearances. PSC noted that without the ability to sustain the contracts, there could have negative impacts on the federal agencies. 

“PSC believes that a top legislative priority must be extending this government-wide authority granted under Section 3610 during the emergency,” Berteau added. 

PSC’s letter follows Berteau’s statement on the effects of COVID-19 on the workforce that was released in April 2020. He mentioned the contractors’ observations on the pace of solicitations for future work and evaluation process during the pandemic.

When asked about the lessons that agencies and contractors can take from the current situation, Berteau said “there are some huge lessons about how we can recruit and retain the workforce that is more agile, more remote.”

Berteau also cited the need for the government to shift its focus from input to results. “I think one of the great lessons of this is we can focus a lot more on the results and outcomes and let’s build procurements and let’s manage the contractors in such a way that we focus on results, that has to be done at the solicitation end, at the evaluation end, at the award end and at the performance end,” he stated. 

About PSC

PSC is the voice of the government technology and professional services industry. PSC’s more than 400 member companies represent small, medium and large businesses that provide federal agencies with services of all kinds, including information technology, engineering, logistics, facilities management, operations and maintenance, consulting, international development, scientific, social, environmental services, and more. Together, the trade association’s members employ hundreds of thousands of Americans in all 50 states.

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KBR Wins Contract by Kutch Specialities to Provide Nitrobenzene Solutions; Doug Kelly Quoted
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KBR Wins Contract by Kutch Specialities to Provide Nitrobenzene Solutions; Doug Kelly Quoted

KBR has been awarded a contract for its proprietary Plinke Adiabatic Nitrobenzene solutions by Kutch Specialities Pvt Ltd, India to provide engineering design, equipment and advisory services for grassroots nitrobenzene projects, KBR reported on Thursday.

“This contract reinforces KBR’s process leadership in purification, concentration and processing of strong inorganic acids,” said Doug Kelly, KBR president, Technology Solutions. “We are proud to work with Kutch Specialities Pvt Ltd to achieve its business expansion goals safely, reliably and efficiently.”

KBR’s patented equipment design and material selection will support plant availability and reliability. The solution will produce a high purity nitrobenzene with a focus on high energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. Nitrobenzene can be used to produce polyurethane foams, rubber chemicals, dyes and pharmaceuticals.

KBR developed the proprietary process for adiabatic nitration of benzene to nitrobenzene through its experience in re-concentration of sulfuric acid. The company has offered an integrated unit with both nitration and spent acid processing.

The energy released during the chemical reaction of benzene to nitrobenzene is kept within the process. KBR’s PLINKE modular reactor is highly efficient and its small size results in small plot-plan requirements and low investment costs.

The PLINKE adiabatic nitrobenzene process has been derived from operating steps, including nitration, product separation, washing, Sulfuric Acid re-concentration, Benzene recovery and waste gas treatment. The diluted Nitric Acid of any concentration between 50 percent and 68 percent HNO3 can be used in the process.

“Our proprietary process for adiabatic nitration offers high energy efficiency, excellent product quality and highly reliable sulfuric acid recovery process,” KBR stated.

About KBR, Inc.

KBR is a global provider of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program life cycle within the Government Services and Energy sectors. KBR employs approximately 37,000 people worldwide (including our joint ventures), with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries, across three synergistic global businesses: Government Solutions, Technology Solutions, Energy Solutions.

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Frequently Asked Questions in New OMB Guidance Address Acquisition Efficiencies
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Frequently Asked Questions in New OMB Guidance Address Acquisition Efficiencies

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued additional guidelines to help ensure the resiliency of the federal acquisition workforce and contractors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michael Rigas, acting deputy director for management at OMB, issued on Tuesday a memo that includes a set of frequently asked questions meant to provide additional guidance and examples from agency activities to assist acquisition professionals as they deal with the impacts of the pandemic.

The questions address acquisition efficiencies, ways to track procurement activities and paid leave for contractor employees under Section 3610 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, among others.

OMB presented several examples of remote strategies to support acquisition work, including virtual industry days, virtual requirements development, video proposals, virtual technical demonstration, remote peer reviews, virtual inspection and remote technical evaluation and source selection.

OMB listed other category management tools and resources that could help agencies identify contract platforms for goods and services to meet the requirements in responding to the pandemic and addressed the use of purchase cards when making open market purchases.

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