“It's not entirely clear what the rulemakers were intending here,” Tracye Howard said.

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“People need to get ahead of it. If you start to ask for a waiver starting in 2027, it's going to be a painful process for everyone,” Michael Cadenazzi said.

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A provision from the 2025 NDAA prohibits DoD from working with contractors that retain consultants representing certain Chinese companies blacklisted by DoD.

© AP Photo/Alex Brandon