FMA APPLAUDS HOUSE COMMITTEE FOR APPROVING BILL TO END FPI MANDATORY SOURCING - July 12,2006

House Committee on the Judiciary passes bill to allow all federal procurement of goods and services to be offered up to the marketplace.

Alexandria, VA (July 12,2006) – The Federal Managers Association applauds the House Judiciary Committee’s passage of H.R. 2965, the Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act introduced by Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), and marks the action as another step in untying the hands of federal managers in procuring goods and services.

Earlier today, the House Judiciary Committee approved H.R. 2965 for floor consideration after nearly a year of pending action since the Committee last took the measure up for consideration. The Committee resumed mark-up after debate and votes were postponed last year when it became clear to the Chairman that the Committee was not prepared to fully debate the legislation and proposed amendments.

“Nearly three years since the House approved practically the same measure, the House is taking action again to address this longstanding problem in the federal procurement system,” FMA National President Darryl Perkinson said. “For more than 70 years, managers and supervisors have been forced to buy from FPI regardless of cost and quality, without being able to seek better products for a better price elsewhere if necessary. However, today the Judiciary Committee voiced its strong support for allowing managers to act as good stewards of federal dollars.”

The Committee debated a number of amendments altering the nature and intent of the original bill. Congressman Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute to replace the bill with language directing a study be conducted of the issue. The amendment was ultimately defeated by a vote of 28-9. Instead, the Committee approved by voice vote a substitute amendment offered by Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R- Wis.) that included slight modifications to the initial legislation. The measure is now cleared for consideration by the full House of Representatives. Should it pass the House, the Senate would then consider the measure.

Perkinson went on to say, “I’d like to thank Representatives Hoekstra and Sensenbrenner for their leadership on this critical issue to federal managers and procurement officers. With shrinking budgets and diminishing resources, every little bit helps. I urge swift action by their colleagues in the House to support this measure and move it through the process.”