From Military.com
“After Court Mandate, VA Is Increasing Contracts With
Vet-Owned Businesses”
Under a mandate from the Supreme
Court, the Department of Veterans Affairs has set goals for boosting the number
of contracts awarded to small businesses owned by veterans and disabled
veterans. In a news release last week, the VA said it is seeking to award in
this fiscal year at least 15% of its more than $26 billion in total procurement
contracts to Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, or SDVSOB, and
17% to Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, or VOSB. The goals would represent a 5%
increase for each, the VA said. In fiscal 2017, the department awarded $26.1
billion in total procurement contracts. Previously, the SDVOSB and VOSB goals
were 10% and 12% respectively, established by former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki
in fiscal 2010, the department said. The VA is acting in response to the
Supreme Court's 2016 ruling in the case of Kingdomware Technologies v. United
States, in which it decided that the so-called "Rule of Two" applies
when awarding contracts under the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and
Information Technology Act of 2006. Under the rule of two, competition for a
contract is to be restricted to SDVOSBs or VOSBs when two or more firms are
verified as able to submit bids at a fair and reasonable price that offers best
value. In its ruling, the court rejected the VA's argument that the rule of two
is discretionary, saying it is mandatory. VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a
statement, "Three years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court underscored our
mandate to do business with service-disabled and other veteran entrepreneurs. "We
have increased the dollars awarded each year, but now it's time to update the
goals to reflect this new commitment," he said. "We need to lock in
the gains we have made and continue to build for the future."
^ While this is a win for disabled
veterans it still shows the VA’s inability to want to help soldiers and
veterans – which is the VA’s sole purpose. The VA had to be told, by the Supreme
Court, to do it’s job and to help disabled veterans. It then waited several
years (since 2016) to start implementing their mandate. ^
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