Contractor Planning

NASA recorded $23.4 billion in net outlays in fiscal 2026, about 5% below the prior year and the third consecutive annual decline, according to U.S. Treasury data. The broad spending measure offers budget-planning context for contractors but does not indicate that a specific program or contract has changed or that a new procurement is available.

Conflicting communications about retirement eligibility and paperwork have left some IRS employees who entered the Deferred Resignation Program uncertain about their status. No official return-to-work process or timeline is identified, so IRS contractors should not treat affected employees’ return as confirmed or infer a change to existing procurement actions.

House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro urged Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins to publish Republican spending-bill proposals, arguing lawmakers need the details to negotiate. With the December 11 shutdown deadline 29 days away and agreement on some or all of the package described as unlikely, agencies and contractors face near-term funding and operational uncertainty.

The administration says it will continue pursuing a Forest Service overhaul that includes moving headquarters to Salt Lake City, closing 23 research stations, and replacing regional offices with state-run offices. A federal judge halted the changes on October 13, leaving contractors to treat potential relocation and support impacts as uncertain rather than funded procurement requirements.