On October 31, 2019, President Trump signed Executive Order 13897, which revoked Executive Order 13495. The predecessor order, issued during the Obama administration, had required federal contractors to disclose their monetary contributions to labor unions and political organizations as a condition of bidding on federal contracts. The revocation eliminated these transparency mandates entirely, allowing contractors to keep their political spending and union contributions concealed from public view and from the federal agencies evaluating their bids.

Federal contractors represent a significant portion of the American economy, encompassing defense manufacturers, construction firms, technology companies, and countless service providers. The disclosure requirement affected thousands of companies competing for billions of dollars in federal contracts annually. By removing this transparency mechanism, the order directly shielded contractors' political spending decisions from scrutiny by government agencies, Congress, and the public. Workers and taxpayers lost visibility into how federal contractors—companies spending taxpayer money—were using their resources to influence politics and labor relations.

This action reflected a broader pattern within the Trump administration of reducing transparency and disclosure requirements across federal operations. While seemingly narrow in scope, it aligned with a wider deregulatory philosophy evident in trade policy actions and consumer-facing mandates. Where later initiatives like the Made in America advertising standards and de minimis duty suspensions sought to reshape federal policy on commerce and consumer protection, this order moved in the opposite direction—removing rather than establishing transparency requirements for entities receiving federal funds.

No significant legal challenges emerged to block the executive order's implementation. The legal authority to revoke prior executive orders remains firmly within presidential power, making such challenges unlikely to succeed. Congressional response was limited, as the Democratic-controlled House had limited mechanisms to override the action without Senate support and presidential signature.

Reversing this action would require a new executive order reinstating disclosure requirements or legislation mandating contractor transparency. Such a measure would restore public accountability over how federal contractors allocate resources to political causes while spending government money.