ENSURING FEDERAL PURCHASING EFFICIENCY ACT

On 2026-07-20, Representative Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) delivered a floor speech titled "ENSURING FEDERAL PURCHASING EFFICIENCY ACT" in the House.

ENSURING FEDERAL PURCHASING EFFICIENCY ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 118 (Monday, July 20, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 118 (Monday, July 20, 2026)] [House] [Pages H4656-H4657] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1640 ENSURING FEDERAL PURCHASING EFFICIENCY ACT Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7283) to amend title 41, United States Code, to amend the time period for certain acquisition-related dollar thresholds. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 7283 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Ensuring Federal Purchasing Efficiency Act''. SEC. 2. ENSURING FEDERAL PURCHASING EFFICIENCY THROUGH ADJUSTMENT OF CERTAIN ACQUISITION-RELATED DOLLAR THRESHOLDS EVERY 3 YEARS. Section 1908(c)(2) of title 41, United States Code, is amended by striking ``of each year evenly divisible by 5'' and inserting ``, 2028, and every 3 years thereafter''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Burlison) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Subramanyam) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri. General Leave Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri? There was no objection. Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Ensuring Federal Purchasing Efficiency Act is a simple, commonsense reform to government procurement. The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council is required to adjust certain dollar thresholds, such as the simplified acquisition threshold, every 5 years. However, everyone has seen how quickly the value of money can move in just 5 years. This bill would simply require these thresholds to be updated every 3 years instead of every 5 years. These dollar thresholds define the applicability of different policies, procedures, and restrictions to the procurement of property or services needed by Federal agencies to achieve their missions. Raising these dollar thresholds more frequently saves taxpayer dollars on administrative costs and increases competition to do business with the government, especially for small businesses. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important government efficiency reform legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. [[Page H4657]] Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7283, the Ensuring Federal Purchasing Efficiency Act, as well. Every 5 years, the Federal Government adjusts the dollar limits that they pay for certain goods and services to reflect inflation, and this bill would simply make it every 3 years. It will help ensure that the government can purchase what it needs. It will also make the government bidding process more competitive with the private sector, and it will help us get more value for our taxpayer dollars. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Fallon). Mr. FALLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 7283, the Ensuring Federal Purchasing Efficiency Act. This commonsense, bipartisan legislation is a government procurement reform bill that allows for far more efficient government spending and reduces the burden on small businesses by ensuring they don't have to navigate different procurement policies from year to year. The Federal Acquisition Council is responsible for making inflation- related adjustments for title 41 purchasing thresholds. Title 41 of the U.S. Code establishes how the Federal Government acquires goods and services. These dollar thresholds define the applicability of different policies, procedures, and restrictions to the procurement of property or services by Federal agencies. Currently, the Federal Acquisition Council makes inflation-related adjustments to purchasing thresholds every 5 years. This bill simply amends title 41, U.S. Code, to require the Federal Acquisition Council to make these adjustments every 3 years, instead of 5, as my good friend from Missouri mentioned. Importantly, this bill does not change the procurement threshold criteria for government agencies. By allowing these inflation-related adjustments to occur more often, it allows Federal acquisitions to better align with purchasing power. In other words, it allows them to be more--say it with me--efficient, something everyone needs more of at this Federal level. Adjusting for inflation on a more frequent basis will save tax dollars spent on administrative costs and will help small businesses by freeing them from navigating different procurement policies every single year. This bill will allow for increased competition to do business with the government and allowing contracting officers to spend more time focusing on larger, more complex procurements. This bill represents part of a suite of procurement-related legislative requests from the administration, specifically the GSA and OMB. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation to promote more government efficiency. Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri for this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to support it. I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. BURLISON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this government procurement reform bill that will lessen administrative burdens for Federal agencies and companies doing business with the government, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Miller of Illinois). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Burlison) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 7283. The question was taken. The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it. Mr. BURLISON. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn. ____________________

Referenced legislation: HR7283, HR7283