A somewhat-bipartisan group of House members have written a letter to OMB requesting the following:
- Allow government contractors to self-identify as a military-spouse-owned business, including in the Federal Procurement Data System, and
- describe support from Congress, either administrative or through annual appropriations, to implement such a change.
This would de facto create a new socioeconomic category for government contractors, “military spouse owned business.” By reporting the status in FPDS, such MSOBs’ share of the federal contracting pie could be easily tracked and analyzed. If it were “too low,” set-asides and sole sources could be authorized.
Whether OMB acts and how long that takes is anyone’s guess, but the idea seems politically tenable even should the White House change parties.
Part of the VA’s mission, per statute and implemented via the Vets First contracting program, is to contract with veteran-owned business, and certain MSOBs could provide a soft landing for retiring veterans. Outside the VA, I doubt MSOBs would out-rank 8(a)s, HUBZone, and service-disabled veteran-owned firms’ contracting preferences, and I rank those three in that order because of sole-sources, price preferences in competitive acquisitions, and use of set-asides, respectively.
Co-signers of the letter include Marilyn Strickland (D-WA10), Dean Phillips (D-MN3), and James Moylan (R-GU).