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HUD joining GSA centralized acquisition services pilot

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6 months ago

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The Department of Housing and Urban Development is the third agency to move its contracting for common goods and services to the General Services Administration.

HUD joined the Office of Personnel Management and the Small Business Administration in using GSA’s Office of Centralized Acquisition Services for buying things like IT services, office management or medical supplies under the category management initiative.

“We’ve been on a journey to design a scalable, efficient acquisition structure that consolidates the procurement of common goods and services across government at the enterprise level. What does this mean? It means that we’re going to be leveraging our multiple award schedules, our governmentwide acquisition contracts (GWACs) and shared services as the backbone of federal procurement,” said Tom Meiron, the assistant commissioner for OCAS, at a Federal Acquisition Service town hall on Wednesday, a recording of which Federal News Network obtained. “We’ll be consolidating spend across governmentwide categories and moving to eliminate duplicative contracts. “We’ll be driving efficiencies by phasing out redundant contracts and leaning into shared services, integrating policy and common support functions. OCAS is delivering on this vision by shifting common contract workload away from agencies so that they can focus primarily on their mission-specific, complex requirements that support their agencies.”

GSA says the initial pilots with OPM and SBA are already showing promise.

Laura Stanton, the deputy commissioner of FAS, said GSA’s efforts to buy common goods and services for OPM and SBA are 37% more efficient than what the agencies did on their own.

Since March, GSA is managing more than 908 contracts worth $1.5 billion from OPM and SBA. OCAS now includes more than 120 contracting officers.

“We’ve achieved $6.5 million in savings through increased visibility and reduced software license and support services spent. How did we do that? $5.3 million came from optimizing Microsoft licenses for SBA, and another $1.2 million came from eliminating unneeded services,” Meiron said. “Before the transfer of the contracts to OCAS for support, OPM and SBA used GSA vehicles less than 30% of the time for their requirements, and used best-in-class contracts and GWACs less than 20%. Post transfers, 75% of those requirements now run through our schedules and our GWACs.”

GSA set up OCAS over the last several months in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order from March to consolidate the buying of common goods and services.  The Office of Management and Budget followed up with a memo in June, telling agencies to increase the use of centralized contracts managed by GSA and to centralize procurement functions at GSA when it “promotes greater economy and efficiency.”

“Use of GSA’s best-in-class contracts (BICs) and other governmentwide contracts has produced significant savings and cost avoidance, including an average savings rate of 38% for certain types of IT hardware and savings of $150 million in fiscal 2024 for identity protection services,” OMB stated in the memo. “Despite GSA’s successes, less than 20% of common spend currently goes through GSA.”

Source: OMB June 2025 memo.

As part of that executive order, GSA created OCAS and submitted a procurement consolidation plan to OMB.

Meiron said that GSA is waiting for OMB’s approval to finalize the standup of OCAS.

“We need to complete our contract transitions for the remaining pilot agencies and validate a repeatable model to expand across more agencies,” he said. “We will continue our agency engagement, explaining our processes, sharing lessons learned, listening to their feedback and fielding all of their queries. We will also continue to pilot artificial intelligence and automation solutions to help manage our capacity constraints and speed up our acquisition timelines.”

The future design of OCAS includes six functional offices to focus on operations, acquisition delivery, acquisition talent, compliance, customer engagement and program performance.

“This is a significant change, not just for FAS, but for the entire federal procurement ecosystem. We’re building the structure, the workforce and the tools to deliver centralized acquisition at scale together,” he said. “We’re shaping how the government buys common goods and services for the years to come. We’re saving taxpayer dollars, reducing duplication and we’re enabling agencies to focus on where it matters most, the crucial components of their mission.”

GO.gov is a go in November

Along those same consolidation lines, GSA also said its new travel management system, called GO.gov, is expected to go live with its first set of agency customers in November.

GSA awarded IBM a 15-year, $930.5 million contract in November and renamed the platform GO.gov in July.

GSA says that GO.gov is expected to save up to $131 million in related travel savings annually, and approximately $2 billion in administrative efficiencies over the life of the contract, by driving use of government-negotiated discounts.

Christina Kingsland, FAS’s assistant commissioner for the Office of Travel, Transportation and Logistics, said they are on track to implement GO.gov across all civilian agencies by the spring of 2027, well ahead of when the current E-Gov Travel Service 2 contract expires in December of that year.

“The first agencies, including GSA, go live in November,” Kingsland said. “We have signed memorandums of understanding from every agency. That commits them to the dates, and which tranche they are going to be onboarding, so that’ll keep us on track. We have a phased approach to onboard all of the agencies into the system before that contract expires. Initial operating capability agencies go first, not quite the full operating capability, so what you will see as a GSA employee will look different in the future.”

Along with GSA, Kingsland said the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) will also be in the first set of agencies moving to GO.gov.

She said the transition path for all agencies will include milestones along the way, including preparation and testing of the new system, closeout of the old one and ensuring that integration runs smoothly.

“The e-gov travel team is beginning to engage with agencies on a weekly basis about one year before their scheduled deployment date. And then about six months before, the technical configuration work with IBM, who manages the back end for GO.gov, starts,” she said. “Each agency is working through a project plan with some flexibility to customize their own critical milestones. But, of course, change management and the communication-related work is absolutely critical, and runs throughout the entire transition.”

The post HUD joining GSA centralized acquisition services pilot first appeared on Federal News Network.

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Comparing Steak and Lobster for U.S. Troops to SNAP and Healthcare Fraud? Two MAJOR Reasons This Won’t End Well

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15 hours ago

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March 12, 2026

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Grilled steak and lobster tail with garlic butter served on a tray, accompanied by a sugar packet and plastic utensils.Reality of “surf-and-turf” in the Military.

Molly Jong-Fast, a contributor at Vanity Fair and the New York Times, took to X to boast about uncovering “frivolous” spending in the Department of War (DoW), specifically around food expenditures for our active-duty troops.

In the X post, she discloses that “under Secretary Pete Hegseth’s stewardship,” in September, the Department of War spent $2 million on Alaskan King Crab, $6.9 million worth of lobster tails (labeling it a “favorite” of Hegseth’s Pentagon), and $15.1 million on ribeye steaks.

Jong-Fast’s post has garnered 2.6 million views as of this writing and has garnered “gotchas” and “whataboutisms” from several well-known anti-Trump voices, including a U.S. Representative on his official account.

Jemele Hill, a contributor for The Atlantic, reposted the “exposé,” stating, “But SNAP recipients are the REAL problem.”

Tweet discussing government spending on luxury items versus concerns about SNAP recipients, highlighting a critique of priorities in public welfare.

Another contributor at The Atlantic, Thomas Chatterton Williams, simply wrote, “$6.9 million worth of lobster tail” in his repost.

Tweet discussing $6.9 million spent on lobster tail alongside other extravagant purchases, highlighting government spending under Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Yet another contributor from The Atlantic, this time an editor, has weighed in on the post.  Norman Ornstein on X wrote, “It’s about the grift.  It is always about the grift” (to be fair, Ornstein could be taking a shot at Molly Jong-Fast’s grift post, but based on his colleagues, probably not).

Tweet discussing questionable government spending under Secretary Pete Hegseth, highlighting extravagant purchases including a grand piano and Apple devices.

U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) on his official government account posted, “But still no healthcare for you.”  Ironically, the cold-water lobster served by the Dept. of War is a critical component of much of the Massachusetts coastal economy.  Rep. McGovern, however, represents more inland counties in the Bay State.

Tweet by Rep. Jim McGovern highlighting extravagant government spending while criticizing the lack of healthcare access, referencing purchases detailed by Molly Jong-Fast.

Rick G. Rosner, a former Jimmy Kimmel writer and self-proclaimed “Genius” with the “World’s 2nd-highest IQ”, joked about whether FOX News would report on this discovery by Jong-Fast.

Tweet discussing expensive purchases made under Secretary Pete Hegseth, including a Steinway piano and Apple devices, with commentary on media reporting.

A Long Tradition in the U.S. Military

Rosner is probably correct:  FOX News won’t likely report on this ‘discovery.’  But not because of the politics of the ‘controversy’ in this “frivolous” spending or to prevent viewers from ‘finding out’.

No, FOX News won’t cover this ‘surf-and-turf discovery’ because it’s not an actual ‘discovery’ and it’s nothing new or exclusive to the Department of War under Secretary Hegseth and President Donald Trump.

In fact, this has been a tradition in the U.S. military with anecdotes dating back as far as the 1970s.  It became a staple during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars beginning in the early 2000s.

Online jokes began to surface in late February that troops were being served ‘surf-and-turf’ and knew what was about to happen: deployment.

But dating back to this writer’s personal experiences as a Marine infantryman serving in Afghanistan in 2010, 2011, and 2012, it wasn’t just a “last meal” as those claims allude to.  It was a staple for deployed Marines aboard Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan.

Most Fridays, the chow hall would serve steak and lobster to the deployed troops.  And for those of us that deployed to forward operating bases, it was something to look forward to in the weeks-long process to make it back to the States.

Often, Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen deployed outside main operating bases were subject to Meals-Ready-To-Eat, or MREs, for months at a time.  Pre-packaged, vacuum-sealed food that was often barely edible (God forbid you got a Veggie Omelet) and heated up using a chemical reaction with water served as the primary sustenance for the majority of meals.

For those returning after a seven- to fifteen-month-long deployment, that ‘surf-and-turf’ at the DFAC was the first taste of real food many of these men and women had in months after long, grueling days sleeping on the ground, dealing with the elements, and often engaged in life-threatening combat operations.

To be clear, this ‘surf-and-turf’ was hardly a ‘gourmet’ meal.  But it was an absolutely incredible treat after the hell they’d just been through.  This depiction of ‘perception vs. reality’ is quite accurate:

Troops Actually PAY For Their Food

No one enlists in the U.S. military to get rich (keyword: enlists).  An E-3 without dependents in the military currently makes around $2,800 to $3,200, or roughly $700-800 per week, depending on time in grade.

Their job entails grueling hours- often times waking up at 4 or 5 a.m. for physical training or PT, moving wherever the military needs you often with little notice or input, enduring ‘field ops’ for days or weeks at a time, random deployments for months or years at a time, and a 24/7 ‘on-call’ status.

Apparently, some people, including Molly Jong-Fast, Jemele Hill, Rep. McGovern, and Rick Rosner, aren’t aware that the troops actually pay for their own meals when in garrison.

Troops receive what is called Basic Allowance for Subsistence, or BAS.  BAS is usually deducted automatically from your pay for troops that aren’t deployed and live on base.  While deployed, they are not charged for food, however, they also don’t receive the BAS pay.

Current BAS pay is about $475 per month.  But when troops deploy and BAS is stopped, most will receive “Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay” of about $225/month.  What a deal! Remember: you don’t enlist to get rich.

And to be clear:  troops living on base often times have to depend on private venues and grocery stores for food because the chow/mess halls have limited hours that often conflict with demanding work schedules.  If you miss those hours, you’re on your own.  But you still contribute (automatically) for that day’s rations.

Comparing these DoW purchases — end-of-the-year “use or it lose it” purchases for special occasions for the troops — to the massive fraud uncovered in Democrat sanctuary cities/states and the widespread SNAP fraud that’s been exposed is clearly not the “gotcha” that Jemele Hill, a sitting U.S. Representative, and contributors at The Atlantic imply it is.

The post Comparing Steak and Lobster for U.S. Troops to SNAP and Healthcare Fraud? Two MAJOR Reasons This Won’t End Well appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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“The Single Most Dangerous Demagogue in The Country… I’m Going to Take Him on Directly!” – Ted Cruz Reignites Feud with Tucker Carlson in Fiery Speech (VIDEO)

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15 hours ago

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March 12, 2026

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Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) attacks Tucker Carlson while speaking at an antisemitism symposium. Credit: C-SPAN screenshot

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) reignited his feud with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in a blistering speech on Tuesday.

As TGP readers know, Cruz and Carlson have been embroiled in a months-long feud, which was exacerbated when Cruz appeared on Carlson’s podcast last June. The topic centered around what actions, if any, the U.S. should take to topple the Iranian regime as it battles Israel.

At one point in the interview, Carlson decided to test Cruz’s knowledge of Iran with a pointed yet seemingly important question: how many people live in the country?

This set off a nasty argument with Cruz exploding all over Carlson.

Since that time, Carlson has continued to slam Trump’s foreign policy decisions, including Operation Epic Fury, which Cruz has been a stalwart defender of. Carlson has also invited harsh criticism from Cruz and others for palling around with antisemites.

While speaking at an antisemitism symposium hosted by The National Review and the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), Cruz made clear that he largely blames Carlson for the perceived antisemitism problem within the Republican party.

He cited Carlson inviting so-called historians who have engaged in revisionist history about World War II, such as absolving Nazi Germany of blame and calling Winston Churchill the real villain.

He next went after Carlson for interviewing arguably the nation’s most influential neo-Naz, Nick Fuentes, and giving him a complete pass. In addition, Cruz ripped GOP politicians for condemning Fuentes while ignoring Carlson.

WATCH:

CRUZ: I believe Tucker Carlson is the single most dangerous demagogue in the country. (applause)

I’ll tell ya, I’ve made the decision I am going to take him on head…directly.

If you look at the descent of Tucker Carlson…It started about a year and a half ago with platforming crackpot professors seeking to rewrite history about World War II.

So he has one idiot who he describes as the most popular historian in the country, who learns forward and intones that Winston Churchill was the villain of World War II.

(He) Carlson then finds another crackpot professor who says there is a good argument that America should have sided with the Nazis in Germany during World War II. And for all of this, Tucker gazes adoringly.

But it’s not just there; it then descends… Look at Nick Fuentes.

When you look at Republican politicians, Nick Fuentes is easy to denounce. I think it’s a tell among Republican politicians that they will denounce Fuentes but are scared to say Tucker’s name.

The post “The Single Most Dangerous Demagogue in The Country… I’m Going to Take Him on Directly!” – Ted Cruz Reignites Feud with Tucker Carlson in Fiery Speech (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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New York Rapper ‘Bentley Bugz’ Arraigned on Horrific Child Sex Trafficking Charges – Forced 16-Year-Old into Prostitution Across Multiple States

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15 hours ago

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March 12, 2026

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Man holding stacks of cash while wearing multiple gold chains and stylish clothing, showcasing a luxurious lifestyle.

New York rap artist Jimmy Francois, known by his stage name “Bentley Bugz,” has been arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn for allegedly sex trafficking a 16-year-old girl, using force, threats, and coercion to exploit her.

The 37-year-old from Elmont, Long Island, faces a six-count indictment for the alleged sex trafficking, which took place over a three-month period in 2024.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Francois preyed on the vulnerable teenager, identified as Jane Doe, between June and August 2024.

The aspiring rapper allegedly transported her across multiple states and forced her to engage in commercial sex acts with multiple clients daily.

Prosecutors claim Francois physically assaulted the girl, intimidated her with threats of violence, and even assaulted other women in her presence to ensure her compliance.

The indictment details how Francois created sexually explicit images and videos of the girl, some of which he posted online as advertisements for prostitution.

Investigators recovered a chilling video in which Francois allegedly assaulted, demeaned, and threatened the victim with statements such as, “You learned and understand that me and you are not equal,” “You speak when you’re spoken to,” “I’mma violate you… you gonna have broken bones… in your hotel room. No hospital, no nothing,” and “I will personally break your bones.”

Francois was arrested on January 29 in Miami, Florida, and extradited to New York by the U.S. Marshals Service.

If convicted, Francois faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to life imprisonment.

“As alleged, the defendant’s exploitation and trafficking of an innocent teenager — across state lines and over the course of months — can only be described as depravity in its most vile form. He hid his dark life of threats and abuse behind a facade of power and luxury. Together with our law enforcement partners, HSI New York is wholeheartedly focused on protecting victims as we relentlessly pursue those who dehumanize and debase them for their own selfish gain and satisfaction,” HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Alfonso said in a press release about the case.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel A. Bennek and Molly Delaney from the Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section.

The post New York Rapper ‘Bentley Bugz’ Arraigned on Horrific Child Sex Trafficking Charges – Forced 16-Year-Old into Prostitution Across Multiple States appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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