119-HR-1118 Journalist Public Summary

Public Summary: Value Over Cost Act of 2025 (H.R. 1118)

Headline Summary: Lets federal buyers choose the offer that provides the best overall value—rather than only the cheapest—on General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule purchases when the GSA Administrator deems it necessary for the government’s interests.

What It Does: H.R. 1118 updates federal buying rules for the GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule (the government’s big pre‑negotiated catalog) so orders can be awarded either to the lowest-cost option or, when justified by the GSA Administrator, to the “best value” offer. “Best value” means price still matters, but agencies can also weigh quality, performance, and past results to meet their needs. The same change is mirrored for Defense Department purchases.

Why It Matters: In many buys—like IT services or complex equipment—the cheapest option can cost more later if performance lags. This bill gives agencies a clearer green light to pick offers that may save time, reduce risk, or deliver higher quality over the product’s or service’s life, while still keeping price in the mix.

• Supporters: The sponsors—Rep. Byron Donalds (Republican, Florida) and Rep. Jared Moskowitz (Democratic, Florida)—present it as a bipartisan, common‑sense tweak to get better outcomes for taxpayers on schedule buys.
• Procurement officials and some industry groups often favor “best value” flexibility because it lets agencies consider reliability, security, and long‑term costs, not just the sticker price.
• Good‑government and modernization advocates may back it as aligning statute with widely used evaluation practices in complex acquisitions.

• Opponents: Budget hawks and some watchdogs worry that leaning into “best value” can weaken price discipline, invite more subjective judgments, or open the door to favoritism if not tightly managed.
• Some small businesses may fear that broader, more subjective evaluations could favor incumbents or large vendors unless criteria and documentation are very clear.
• Skeptics also note that agencies must have the expertise—and time—to evaluate non‑price factors consistently, or decisions could become slower and harder to challenge.

What’s Next: The bill was introduced in the House on February 7, 2025; it was referred to the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Armed Services Committee. A committee consideration and mark‑up session was held on February 4, 2026. As of today (February 5, 2026), it awaits further committee or floor action.