David Berteau, president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, has said President Donald Trump’s move to sign a measure to temporarily reopen federal agencies affected by the partial government shutdown through Feb. 15 is a “critically important first step.â€
The move “shows the beginning of finding common ground to a longer-term agreement†over government funding, Berteau, a 2019 Wash100 winner, said in a statement published Friday.
“PSC has sought from day one to ensure that the government is fully funded and reopened, that invoices are paid for work completed prior to the shutdown, and that the government provide equitable treatment for contract workers and their families who have been unpaid during this shutdown,†he noted.
He said PSC has advised its member companies to be ready to catch up on contract work as a result of the reopening; file claims for unpaid work and overdue invoices; and back future work in support of agencies’ missions.
At a Wells Fargo Securities-hosted investor call held Thursday, Berteau shared his views on the partial shutdown and noted that he did not see a “catalyst†to a near-term funding resolution for agencies that obligated $70B to $80B in contract awards in the previous fiscal year.
“More importantly (and we agree), resolution of the appropriation levels for GFY20 is more critical as current law implies a notable drop-off in funding,†according to a Wells Fargo Securities report released Friday.
