Summer is almost here! It’s finally warming up, everything is green and lush and, if you are a Fortune 500 company, heads up — you are about to receive your annual diversity survey from Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ). No, this isn’t just another piece of junk mail; it is an important opportunity that, if met with smart, strategic Capitol Hill engagement, can be the beginning of a fruitful dialogue with Sen. Menendez and other increasingly influential minority caucus members moving forward.
As the defeat of six-term Sen. Richard Lugar in the Indiana Republican Senate primary reveals, even the most entrenched incumbents cannot count on being re-nominated and re-elected. Since he also serves with distinction as Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Lugar’s forced retirement underscores the fact that the leadership landscape of the US Senate and House may be significantly changed by this year’s elections.
On April 26, federal contractors, and defenders of the First Amendment, cheered committee passage of HR 2008, the Keeping Politics Out of Federal Contracting Act. This act would prohibit executive agency heads from requiring contractors to submit political information as part of a solicitation, RFP or any other communication in connection with the award of a contract. It would also prohibit agency officials from using such political information as a consideration in the selection process. HR 2008 was adopted by voice vote.