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Using Available Funds For Other Purposes No Excuse For Breach

Client Alert | 1 min read | 03.22.05

The Supreme Court in Cherokee Nation of Okla. v. Leavitt (Mar. 1, 2005) sustained breach actions by several Indian tribes against the Department of Interior, which had tried to avoid its contractual obligations by saying that it didn't have enough appropriated funds to meet all of its various responsibilities. In so doing, the Court reaffirmed the long-established rule for procurement contracts that, if Congress has not earmarked funds specifically for a program and "if the amount of an unrestricted appropriation is sufficient to fund the contract, the contractor is entitled to payment even if the agency has allocated the funds to another purpose or assumes other obligations that exhaust the funds," even if the contract has language such as "subject to the availability of funds."

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Client Alert | 2 min read | 11.11.26

President Trump Nominates Peter Feldman to Serve as CPSC Chairman and Commissioner

On November 10, 2026, President Trump nominated Peter A. Feldman to serve as Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and to serve another seven-year term as Commissioner. The nominations signal the administration's intent to maintain continuity of leadership at the CPSC during a period of heightened regulatory activity. ...