Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act Proposes to Eliminate Preferences for 8(a) and WOSB Firms
PilieroMazza – On April 27, 2026, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI) introduced companion bills called “Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act.” The bills (H.R. 8511) and (S. 4390) seek to eliminate federal contracting preferences for “socially and economically disadvantaged individuals” and “small business concerns owned and controlled by women,” essentially gutting the statutory bases for the Small Business Administration’s Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and 8(a) Business Development Program. Following President Trump’s March 26, 2026, Executive Order titled “Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors,” these two bills are the latest efforts to remove contracting preferences based on race, ethnicity, and sex.