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The Trump administration continued to focus on increasing efficiency in government contracting, among other policy aims.

This week, President Trump issued several executive orders in furtherance of his policy aims, including orders relating to increasing efficiency in the government contracting process, assessing the impact of importation of critical minerals on national security, investigating how to reduce prescription drug prices, and changing the way the government evaluates environmental permits. Meanwhile, the tariff landscape continued to evolve, and California brought a legal…

Potomac River and Washington, DC

Contractors should anticipate increased use of alternative contracting methods and heightened scrutiny of efficiency and costs in defense programs.

By Dean W. Baxtresser, Kyle R. Jefcoat, Anne W. Robinson, Morgan L. Maddoux, and Genevieve P. Hoffman

On April 9, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order (the Order) to streamline the defense acquisition process and workforce, and potentially eliminate defense programs that are over budget or behind schedule. According to the Order, the current defense acquisition…

The White House, Washington DC

The order directs the Secretary of Energy to designate certain generation resources as critical and work to prevent such resources from being retired or replaced.

On April 8, 2025, the White House issued an executive order titled “Strengthening the Reliability and Security of the United States Electric Grid” (the Order) that directs the Secretary of Energy to use an emergency provision of the Federal Power Act (FPA) to designate certain generation resources as critical and implement a plan to prevent…

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The order addresses various state-level initiatives deemed to burden the US energy sector.

By Betty M. Huber and Austin J. Pierce

On April 8, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order titled “Protecting American Energy From State Overreach” (the Order). The Order asserts that state and local laws and policies covering various aspects of energy policy undermine American energy dominance and, by extension, national security. In response, Order calls for sweeping action by the federal government to combat such localized…

The White House of the United States of America Building

The Trump administration focuses on regulatory rollbacks, America’s defense industry, tariffs, and the environment.

This week, President Trump signed over 10 executive orders related to efforts to strengthen America’s defense industry, bolster coal production and electric grid management, and roll back other regulations it views as restrictive or potentially unlawful.

Latham lawyers are carefully monitoring the rollout of President Trump’s policy priorities through executive orders, agency actions, and installment of new personnel. Below is a high-level overview of these actions…

The White House in Washington DC, USA, South front Portico.Workplace of the president of the United States.

The president’s actions aim to bolster coal production and exports and coal-fired power generation, highlighting the importance of coal to US economic and national security.

By Karl Karg, Devin M. O’Connor, Stacey VanBelleghem, and Bisi Ogunmefun

On April 8, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order (Order) to boost coal production and exports, following other White House actions designed to spur domestic energy production and power generation. This latest Order emphasizes the economic and national security importance…

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FedRAMP 20x aims to increase efficiency through automation and removal of hurdles to FedRAMP authorization.

By Dean W. Baxtresser, Kyle R. Jefcoat, Anne W. Robinson, Morgan L. Maddoux, and Chris Caulder

On March 24, 2025, the General Services Administration (GSA) announced an initiative to overhaul the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) to streamline the authorization process and automate security assessments. As part of the Trump administration’s focus on government efficiency, the initiative — “FedRAMP…

The White House of the United States of America Building

The Trump administration imposes additional wide-ranging tariffs as legal challenges to the administration’s actions continue.

The Trump administration executed its long-promised imposition of wide-ranging tariffs this week, while it continued efforts to reduce the federal workforce and faced ongoing legal challenges.

Latham lawyers are carefully monitoring the rollout of President Trump’s policy priorities through executive orders, agency actions, and installment of new personnel. Below is a high-level overview of these actions over the past week, broken down by topic, along…

Canada announces a 25% retaliatory tariff.

On April 2, 2025, the White House announced a baseline 10% tariff on imports, set to take effect on April 5. Individualized reciprocal tariffs announced on specific countries will take effect on April 9.

Canada

  • On February 1, 2025, in an executive order titled “Imposing Duties to Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Northern Border,” President Trump ordered that products from Canada would be subject to a general 25% tariff, with energy
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New rounds of cuts and organizational shifts for HHS staff and operating divisions could dramatically impact the healthcare and life sciences industry.

By Nathan A. Beaton, Joseph C. Hudzik, Elizabeth M. Richards, and Anton Lesaca

On April 1, 2025, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began implementing a significant reduction in force (RIF) of staff, five days after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced plans for a “dramatic restructuring” of the department and…