It will. For example, a 2023 executive order (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/02/22/2023-03779/further-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-un

It will. For example, a 2023 executive order (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/02/22/2023-03779/further-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/02/22/2023-03..., sec. 7) established a procurement quota for minority-owned small businesses, and required all agencies to work with the SBA to optimize their procurement processes around this. I'm not claiming this is the only problem with government contracting, but it's an example of exactly the kind of policy which leads to the source article's complaint. The author may have identified a vendor with a cheaper and better product, but if they let everyone go around making such decisions how would they know whether they're hitting the quota?