FAR 2.0, Statutory Anchors & What’s Not Changing in Federal Acquisition

What happens when acquisition reform meets legal reality?In this episode of GovCon Unscripted, Chelsea Roberts is joined by Tom Barrow, counsel at Woods Rogers and a former Army JAG attorney, to dissect the FAR 2.0 rewrite. They unpack what reforms are possible and what’s simply untouchable by executive action.This is the conversation federal contractors need right now to cut through the noise and focus on what really matters. On this episode, we discuss:The critical difference between statutes and regulationsWhat FAR 2.0 can’t touch—competition, payments, and small business goalsWhy commercial acquisition isn’t a silver bulletHow cybersecurity requirements are reshaping "commercial" solutionsWhat contractors should know when submitting claims or settlement proposals [00:00] – Meet Tom Barrow: Army JAG to government contracts attorney[05:15] – FAR 2.0 explained: What’s changing vs. what’s not[08:04] – Statutes vs. regulations and who really has authority[20:30] – Government payment obligations and contractor rights[27:47] – Small business programs and the role of 8(a) awards[33:10] – Commercial acquisition and cybersecurity compliance tension[41:51] – Will FAR 2.0 reform actually work? Final thoughts🎧 Listen now on:🔹 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/govcon-unscripted/id1766384482🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NL0kFAvmgECLTJpUZYNHyLike and follow us:🔹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GovConUnscriptedUS🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/govconunscriptedpodcast/🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/govcon-unscripted/posts/🔹 JOIN OUR #govcon #community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14618490/New to GovCon? Here's a guide for you:https://share.hsforms.com/288nO18bsRCCmdJZL66pClwbzmvx Links and Resources:Chelsea’s LinkedIn ProfileTom Barrow’s LinkedIn ProfileWoods Rogers Law Firm