Senate to confirm first OFPP administrator since 2019

CORRECTION: The Senate voted on Oct. 2 to end debate over the nomination of Rhodes and others. The Senate is expected to vote on Wednesday on the nominations. This story has been updated to reflect that expected vote.

The Office of Federal Procurement Policy will have its first confirmed administrator in six years. The Senate is set to approve the nomination of Kevin Rhodes to lead the office within the Office of Management and Budget on Wednesday as part of the approval of dozens of candidates en bloc.

Rhodes will be the first permanent leader of OFPP since Michael Wooten held the role for about 18 months starting in 2019. Before Wooten, the last OFPP administrator was Anne Rung, who left in 2016, meaning the OFPP administrator has been filled by an acting person for almost eight of the last nine years.

During the administration of President Joe Biden, the White House nominated Biniam Gebre in August 2021, but he withdrew in June 2022 after it was clear the Senate wasn’t going to advance it.

Rhodes, who has been serving as a senior advisor to OMB since February, has been leading the administration’s efforts to remake federal procurement.

The Senate’s expected approval comes at a key time as OFPP and the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council mostly completed the FAR overhaul with all sections but one now updated.

During his nomination hearing, Rhodes told senators back in June that, “A modernized acquisition system must reduce costs, increase speed and open doors for greater competition. We must make it easier for small businesses, non-traditional vendors, and innovative companies to do business with the federal government. By growing and diversifying our industrial base, we don’t just foster competition — we also build resilience into our supply chains, promote innovation, and enhance national security by ensuring that the United States is never overly dependent on limited sources of supply.”

When OFPP and the FAR Council kicked off the overhaul, Rhodes said he understood the challenges ahead and asked the acquisition community for patience as the administration worked through the changes.

In addition to the FAR overhaul, OFPP has been at the forefront of two executive orders seeking to further reform federal acquisition processes.

President Donald Trump signed one order in March to consolidate the buying of common goods and services, initiating the FAR overhaul, tasking the General Services Administration with several initiatives, including centralizing procurement for agencies and giving OFPP oversight of its plans and progress. Three agencies — the Small Business Administration, the Office of Personnel Management and, most recently, the Department of Housing and Urban Development — are in the current centralized buying pilot.

The second order, in April, called on agencies to buy commercial products or justify why they can’t as required under the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA).

“Federal procurement is a top priority for this administration with the revolutionary FAR effort so it’s great to see an OFPP administrator confirmed to continue this important work,” said Julie Dunne, a former commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service at the General Services Administration and now a principal with the Monument Advocacy, in an email to Federal News Network.

In addition the FAR overhaul effort, OMB has updated several other acquisition related memos. These include new guidance around using project-labor management agreements for federal construction projects and a memo on eliminating barriers for agencies to buy and use artificial intelligence.

Before joining OMB, Rhodes worked for more than three years at Systecon North America where he was executive vice president, leading the strategy, government relations and business operations offices. He also served in the Air Force for 25 years, working in operational and procurement roles, including as the program manager for common avionics, the director of operations for the KC-46 program and as the director of acquisition for the White House Military Office.

In addition to Rhodes expected to gain approval, the Senate is expected to confirm dozens of other nominees including 28 assistant secretaries for defense and civilian agencies and 29 ambassadors. Other notable senior leaders include:

• James Woodruff to be a Member of the Merit Systems Protection Board for a seven year term, which would expire on March 1, 2032. The MSPB now has two members, creating a quorum and allowing it to resume hearing cases.
• Christopher Fox to be the inspector general of the Intelligence Community, Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
• David Castillo to be the chief financial officer for the Department of Labor.

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