GovConJudicata Weekly Debrief (12/12–16)

This week's Weekly Debrief covers artificial intelligence, 2023 NDAA and defense spending, clean energy and net-zero emissions, and fixed-price satellites.

Artificial Intelligence

Bloomberg – Contractors Vexed by Federal Definition of AI: Dr. Lance Eliot

• "A rose isn’t necessarily a rose by any other name. It all depends upon your definition. Contractors know that the wording of federal contracts is carefully determined and abided by. Nearly every contract contains definitions of key terms on which the core elements of the vendors’ services or products will hinge."

NDAA

NYT – Military Spending Surges, Creating New Boom for Arms Makers

• "The prospect of growing military threats from both China and Russia is driving bipartisan support for a surge in Pentagon spending, setting up another potential boom for weapons makers that is likely to extend beyond the war in Ukraine."

The Hill – Senate sends $858 billion defense bill to Biden’s desk

• "The Senate on Thursday passed the annual defense authorization bill, sending the $858 billion measure to President Biden’s desk for signature just before the year-end deadline. The measure, formally known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority, 83-11."

Energy

NextGov – EVs, Building Emissions Among Biden’s Sustainable Energy Priorities

• "The Biden administration launched a new framework to make more clean, electric energy options available for all Americans on a broader scale, part of the administration’s larger goal to achieve nationwide net-zero emissions by 2050."

Space

SpaceNews – Space acquisition chief: DoD will buy small satellites, at fixed prices

• "Soon after his Senate confirmation hearing in February, Frank Calvelli, assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisitions and integration, started to put together a list of problems he saw in DoD’s space procurements and possible ways to fix them."

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