The Senate voted on Oct. 2 to approve the nomination of Kevin Rhodes to lead the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) within the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Rhodes is OFPP’s first Senate-confirmed leader in six years, since the Senate confirmed Michael Wooten in 2019.
Rhodes has been serving as a senior advisor to OMB since February, and he has helped oversee the Trump administration’s overhaul of federal procurement.
The OFPP is helping to lead the Trump administration’s Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO). The RFO aims to modernize the FAR, which is the rulebook that federal agencies follow when purchasing everything from software to military equipment.
The effort – directed under an April executive order from President Donald Trump – is being led by the OFPP in partnership with the General Services Administration, the Pentagon, and NASA as members of the FAR Council.
During his confirmation hearing in June, Rhodes told lawmakers that leading the RFO would be one of his “primary objectives” if confirmed.
“A modernized acquisition system must reduce costs, increase speed, and open doors for greater competition. We must make it easier for small businesses, non-traditional vendors, and innovative companies to do business with the federal government,” Rhodes said in his written testimony.
“By growing and diversifying our industrial base, we don’t just foster competition — we also build resilience into our supply chains, promote innovation, and enhance national security by ensuring that the United States is never overly dependent on limited sources of supply,” he added.
Before joining OMB, Rhodes served as the executive vice president at Systecon North America, where he led strategy, government relations, and business operations. He also served in the Air Force for 25 years.