Dear ISOA Members,

Since January 20, the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders and announcements have presented unexpected and complicated business challenges for many of our members. The purpose of this letter is to keep you up to date with our public and behind-the-scenes activities to understand and address these developments that affect your companies.

Below are our focus areas and current activities.

Advocacy and Connections

We are actively advocating on Capitol Hill about emerging contractual issues resulting from the Executive Orders that affect our members, and connecting members that are facing similar and related issues.

• In response to the Executive Order for a 90-day freeze in foreign aid, ISOA created and distributed this Industry Response and this letter to the House Committee on Small Business emphasizing the critical role foreign aid plays in national security, and how it supports the new Administration’s goals. The materials also reinforce the significant importance of small businesses in this space. ISOA sent the attached materials to key contacts on Capitol Hill, including Senator Lindsey Graham, the House Committee on Small Business, the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

• Meetings with key congressional representatives about the impact of the 90-Day Foreign Assistance Freeze are underway. We will keep members informed of any significant developments.

• ISOA provides an invaluable platform for members to connect with other members who are encountering similar business issues. Members can bring their concerns to a larger group to develop more effective short-term tactics and longer-term strategies. Personal connections with contacts in similar sectors, as well as with legal and regulatory counsel, may be useful for planning as well.

If your organization is impacted, we urge you to share your experiences with us so we can represent your interests effectively on Capitol Hill. Please keep an eye out for an ISOA survey coming out shortly and respond so that we can best represent your interests.

Information Gathering and Analysis

We are gathering, tracking, and analyzing information as it comes in. As the primary association for stability operations, our members are well-positioned to collect this information, with sources in industry, government, the legal profession, and others.

• Our first webinar, Transition Executive Order Updates: Implications for U.S. Contractors on Jan. 30, led by Robert Nichols of member law firm Nichols Liu, focused on Executive Orders related to foreign aid. If you missed it, the recording is available to ISOA members here.
• Another webinar, Act I, Scene I: What Federal Contractors and Grantees Should Know about President Trump’s January 2025 EOs is scheduled for Thu., Feb. 6. Alex Sarria of Miller & Chevalier and Ryan Berry of Ward & Berry will provide the latest updates for federal contractors and grantees. Register here
• ISOA held an open session with members on Jan. 29 to openly discuss the impact of the 90-day freeze on foreign aid. If you missed it, you can view the recording here. Please note this meeting was held under the Chatham House Rule.
• Several Administration updates from legal counsel and our advocacy group are on the agenda at the Qatar Conference in Doha on Feb 12-13.
• The ISOA Government Affairs Committee (GAC) meets on Zoom on Tuesdays at 11 am. During the meeting, members receive updates on Capitol Hill developments from our advocacy company, ADI, and other members. Every other week, the focus is exclusively on the activities of the new administration. All ISOA members are encouraged to attend the GAC call; please contact support@stability-operations.org to receive an Outlook invitation. This meeting is not recorded, and the Chatham House Rule applies.
• We have set up a new page on our website, the U.S. Presidential Administration Change Policy Tracker to track the fast-moving announcements. Links to other resources and member-only recordings and information are listed there as well.

The Federal Contracting industry is currently experiencing unprecedented challenges. As your primary representative and partner in the stability operations sector, ISOA is committed to supporting your companies in any way we can. We will continue to track developments and advocate for you for as long as these issues remain unresolved.

We encourage you to engage with ISOA. Please contact us with any concerns, questions, or insights to help shape our advocacy efforts.

Sincerely,
Howie Lind
President & Executive Director
International Stability Operations Association