WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced the fiscal year 2009 Financial Services spending bill includes a government-wide ban on all new A-76 contracting out competitions for the next year. This is a major victory for federal employees, who have had to compete on an uneven playing field under the Bush Administration’s contracting out process. Senator Mikulski has been a long-time critic of the contracting out process, which often wastes taxpayer dollars, is bad for morale at federal agencies, and is dangerously slanted against federal employees. The House of Representatives introduced an identical moratorium in their version of the spending bill.

“I promised federal employees that I would not stop my fight to protect them against unfair contracting out policies. Today, my promises made are promises kept,” said Senator Mikulski. “Our federal employees are on the front lines every day, working hard for America. These hardworking men and women deserve to be treated fairly. The Bush Administration has ignored the expressed will of Congress and has pushed contracting out when it hasn’t made sense for federal agencies or taxpayers.”

In May 2003, the Bush Administration issued new guidelines for public-private competitions (OMB Circular A-76) that favored contractors and stacked the deck against federal employees. Senator Mikulski has fought for years to improve the process – adding provisions in spending bills to help government workers compete for their jobs on a level playing field with contractors, and to make sure the competition process is fair before federal jobs are contracted out.

“The Bush Administration’s plan for privatization costs money, costs morale and costs the integrity of the civil service by forcing them into unfair competitions. Federal employees are forced to spend time and money competing for their jobs, instead of doing their jobs,” said Senator Mikulski. “The administration has stacked the deck against federal employees, but I’m here to level the playing field.”

The bill was approved by the full Appropriations Committee today and now heads to the Senate floor for a vote, which has not yet been scheduled.