Mayor Justin Bibb’s Call to Action

Justin Bibb isn’t waiting his turn and he doesn’t think America’s young leaders should either.

At just 34 years old, Bibb shocked Ohio’s political establishment in 2021 when he became mayor of Cleveland. Today, he’s the president of the Democratic Mayors’ Association and one of the most closely watched millennial politicians in the country.Over a plate of mac and cheese at a trendy Cleveland bistro, Bibb told POLITICO what drives him  impatience.“When I ran for mayor, a lot of establishment Democrats told me to wait my turn. But we’re impatient because we’ve lived through crises our whole lives. We don’t want to wait to solve them.”

Why Mayors Want a Bigger Voice in Federal Policy

Bibb, a son of Cleveland’s southeast side, grew up during the city’s crack epidemic. He remembers strong Black middle-class families and main streets—and he ran for office to stop the decline he saw around him.Now, he wants Washington to listen more to mayors. Why? Because mayors feel the real-world effects of federal policy first—whether that’s housing, healthcare, or immigration reform.

Housing Affordability and Permitting Reform Priorities

On housing, Bibb thinks even President Trump could find bipartisan ground  Permitting reform is at the top of every mayor’s wish list. Housing affordability is slipping further out of reach as interest rates climb.And without federal action, local solutions can only go so far.
Still, Bibb isn’t just pointing fingers. He’s convening hospital CEOs, foundations, and community leaders to explore stop-gap solutions from mobile health clinics to preventative care campaigns.

For him, leadership means urgency: acting now, even when the federal government stalls.And that’s the millennial edge he wants Democrats to understand: not waiting for permission, but tackling problems head-on.

FAR Threshold Adjustments: Inflation Brings Higher Ceilings Across Federal Contracting

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) thresholds are officially on the rise. On October 1, 2025, the FAR Council’s finalized inflation-based adjustments under 41 U.S.C. § 1908 will take effect reshaping limits that touch nearly every part of the acquisition process, from micro-purchases to subcontracting plans. While the numbers may look like simple inflation tweaks, the ripple effects are significant for both small businesses and agencies.

Inflation-Driven Shifts in Federal Contracting

The FAR Council completed its latest round of inflation-driven adjustments, this time using April’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) instead of the usual March figure. The stated reason: April more accurately captured inflation trends. Regardless of methodology, the outcome is clear—contracting thresholds across the board are shifting upward, opening new doors for small businesses while easing compliance burdens on agencies.

The New Numbers You Need to Know

• Automatic Small Business Set-Asides: The band between the Micro-Purchase Threshold (MPT) and Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT) now expands by $100,000, meaning contracts under $350,000 must be reserved for small businesses.
• Discretionary 8(a) Sole Source: The cap for awarding sole-source contracts without a Justification & Approval (J&A) rises by $5 million, from $25M to $30M, broadening access for 8(a) firms.
• Subcontracting Plans: The threshold for requiring subcontracting plans increases to $900,000, reducing administrative overhead for smaller contracts.
• Agency Flexibility: Higher ceilings mean fewer J&As, more acquisitions eligible for simplified procedures, and less paperwork overall critical relief for contracting offices already stretched thin.

What Small Businesses Stand to Gain

For small contractors, the changes are largely positive:

• More set-asides: The expanded SAT zone ensures a greater share of contracts must go to small businesses.
• NMR Relief: Some worried about the Nonmanufacturer Rule (NMR) overlap, but the higher SAT ultimately increases opportunities in the window where NMR does not apply.
• Streamlined Growth: With higher subcontracting thresholds and simplified acquisition rules, small firms face fewer compliance hurdles as they scale.

Where the Adjustments Stop Short

Notably absent are adjustments to the Davis-Bacon Act (DBA) and Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS) thresholds. By statute, 41 U.S.C. § 1908 excludes them, leaving compliance burdens in place for contracts valued below today’s inflation-adjusted purchasing levels. In practice, this means agencies and contractors continue shouldering outdated requirements that apply to contracts worth less than what a single purchase card swipe could cover.

Not the Finish Line

The FAR Council’s 2025 inflation adjustments represent a broad win for both small businesses and agencies: more set-aside opportunities, expanded sole-source authority, higher ceilings for simplified acquisitions, and fewer subcontracting requirements. While statutory exclusions like DBA and SCLS remain “unfinished business,” these changes mark a significant step toward aligning acquisition thresholds with today’s economic reality.

Lovell Government Services Partners with CHS USA to Expand Federal Healthcare Access

Lovell Government Services, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). It has entered a strategic partnership with CHS USA Inc. This organization is a leading medical device manufacturer. This collaboration enables CHS USA’s product. As a result, they range from NICU kits to IV tubing. These are ready to be distributed across federal healthcare systems, including the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Military Health System (MHS), and Indian Health Service (IHS).

Partnership Announcement

On August 28, 2025, Lovell Government Services announced its partnership with CHS USA Inc. The collaboration allows CHS USA’s products. The products are such as MED-RX kits and JollyPop pacifiers. They are eligible to be listed across major federal procurement platforms.

Chris Lovell, CEO of Lovell and a retired USMC Major, emphasized the mission alignment:

“This partnership enhances our commitment to finding the best possible products available and making them accessible to our veterans.”

Contract Vehicles Enabled

The partnership activates multiple federal contracting channels:

Contract Vehicle	Purpose
FSS (VA)	Streamlined procurement for VA hospitals
GSA Advantage	Federal-wide access to CHS USA products
ECAT (DLA)	Electronic catalog for DoD logistics
DAPA (DoD)	Pricing agreement for military distribution

These vehicles reduce acquisition friction and ensure compliance with federal procurement standards.

Impact on Veterans and Federal Agencies

By integrating CHS USA’s offerings into federal systems, clinicians now have some benefits. They have gained faster access to neonatal care products, hospital kits, and IV solutions. This directly improves patient outcomes for veterans, active-duty personnel, and tribal health services.

Mike Canzoneri, CEO of CHS USA, stated:

“Partnering with Lovell Government Services allows us to expand access to our dependable medical products and ensure those who have served receive the quality care they deserve.”

Strategic Significance for SDVOSB Goals

Federal agencies are mandated to meet SDVOSB procurement targets. Lovell’s role as a certified SDVOSB vendor helps agencies fulfill these goals. They also support veteran entrepreneurship. This partnership is a model for how mission-driven contracting can align with compliance and care delivery.

This move signals a broader trend in GovCon: strategic alliances that combine compliance. It also includes mission alignment and operational efficiency. As federal healthcare systems modernize, expect more partnerships that prioritize speed, quality, and SDVOSB inclusion.

Why U.S. Companies Aren’t Leaving China?

President Trump wanted a mass manufacturing “exodus” from China. Instead, U.S. companies are staying put    and some are even doubling down.

But the reality is American businesses that depend on Chinese factories are calling it less risky to stick with China than to reshuffle production under Trump’s unpredictable tariff regime. Take Judd King, founder of Starlux Games. His glow-in-the-dark outdoor toys rely on LED parts from China. “We’re trapped,” he says. Higher duties mean higher costs, and the real question becomes: How much are American shoppers willing to pay before walking away?

Tariffs Raise Costs, Squeeze Small Retailers, and Trigger Bankruptcies

And Judd’s not alone. Big-box giants like Target and Walmart can soften some of the blow    but smaller retailers? Not so much. The result: bankruptcies are piling up. Toy supplier IG Design Group and home goods chain At Home Group both folded this summer, explicitly blaming tariffs for strangling their revenues. Meanwhile, Trump is raising tariffs everywhere, not just on Beijing. His “reciprocal” duties hit Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and others too. That turned the once-popular “China-plus-one” strategy (spread production between China and one other country) into a dead end.

As one supply chain consultant put it: “The China-plus-one has been blown up.”

Missing Ecosystem, Labor, and Policy Incentives

Even as trade tensions bite, most U.S. companies plan to keep investing in China. Why? Because despite tariffs, China’s market, infrastructure, and supply chain depth are just too valuable to abandon.

Cameron Johnson, a partner at Shanghai-based Tidalwave Solutions, summed it up bluntly:
“None of this stuff is going to be reshored. The U.S. doesn’t have the ecosystem, the people, the tax incentives, or the money.”

So, Trump’s dream of bringing factories home isn’t materializing. Instead, companies are paying up, passing costs to shoppers, or shutting their doors. And the uncertainty over what tariffs might come next is leaving many executives    and consumers    paralyzed.

Seems like Trump wanted factories back in the U.S. What he got instead is higher prices, more bankruptcies, and a business community stuck in wait-and-see mode.