Summary
The Bush administration's efforts to make government more cost- effective suffered a blow Monday when the House voted to gut the president's plan to make federal contracting more competitive. Sponsored by Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Democrat, the measure passed by a margin of 23 votes, propelled to victory by liberal Republicans like Rep. Sherwood Boehlert of New York, as well as non- liberal Republicans like Reps. Henry Hyde of Illinois, Jo Ann Davis of Virginia and Ray LaHood of Illinois. Now, if a plan by Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Democrat, to enact a rollback gains similar traction in the Senate, Congress will stand unified against some very sensible cost-cutting initiatives the Bush administration has undertaken, even as it engineers the largest expansion of federal outlays in a generation.
Over the last two decades, in both Democratic and Republican presidential administrations, the Office of Management and Budget has been ratcheting up competition for important public-sector projects across the spectrum of the government's activities, ranging from procuring widgets for helicopters and tanks to building and renovating new facilities around the world. Over time, the fruit of these efforts, commonly called "A-76 competitions," has been significant cost savings for the American taxpayer. When, in 2002, the Bush Administration rolled out the most ambitious changes yet to the A-76 rules, the prospects for a leaner, more efficient federal government never seemed brighter.See the full content of this document
Extract
Van Hollen's Boondoggle
Now they appear to have dimmed significantly. Mr. Van Holle...
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