Jane Edwards
David Berteau, president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, told Federal News Network in an interview posted Wednesday about the potential benefits of extending section 3610 through the end of September in the latest stimulus bill to federal contractors amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Section 3610 “basically authorizes programs across the government, civilian agencies, the intelligence community and the Defense Department to reimburse contractors for costs they incur, keeping skilled personnel and key workers on the payroll when they can either access the facility due to some restrictions, Covid-19, etc, or do the work remotely,†Berteau, a two-time Wash100 awardee, said on FNN’s Federal Drive with Tom Temin.Â
“Nobody can really predict with the variants that are coming out where this is going. So it’s an authority. It’s there if you need it, but it’s not there if the government doesn’t need it. And so we’re really excited to have it extended,†he said of section 3610.
He said the Senate on Saturday voted to approve an amendment seeking to extend the authority through Sept. 30.
Berteau noted that the stimulus bill also authorizes up to $1 billion for the Technology Modernization Fund, which he said could help agencies replace its legacy platforms and improve cybersecurity. He said he also expects the White House to issue its national security guidance as it works on its budget.
“So this interim guidance gives you a lot of additional things on which to spend money, cybersecurity being a very top one. There are also other emphases, you know, new technologies across the board, fighting the pandemic, fighting climate change, climate effects, etc.,†Berteau said.
