Last Friday, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved an amendment to the fiscal 2012 Defense Authorization Act, prohibiting executive agencies from mandating the disclosure of political spending by federal government contractors. The House version of the bill, which passed in May, includes a similar provision restricting disclosure requirements.

The amendments are in response to a draft Executive Order recently made public that seeks to expand on current federal government regulations of federal government contractors, restricting contributions during the negotiation and performance of a federal contract. Addressing perceived pay-to-play concerns by the Administration, the draft Executive Order aims for increased transparency and accountability in federal contracting with the Administration’s goal of a more efficient and economical procurement process.