JULY 18, 2000
SENATE APPROVES THOMPSON-LIEBERMAN CONTRACTING
REFORM LANGUAGE
FOSTERS GOVERNMENT PURCHASING FROM PRIVATE INDUSTRY
(Washington, DC) – Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman
Fred Thompson (R-TN) and ranking Democrat Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) said
Senate approval of language in the Fiscal Year 2001 Defense
Authorization Act to simplify rules used for federal government
purchases from private industry would benefit not only the Department
of Defense, but other agencies across the federal government as well.
The Senators noted that each year the federal government spends
about $200 billion on goods and services, ranging from weapons systems
to computer systems to everyday items. In the last six years, Congress
has streamlined much of the red tape involved with the federal
purchasing system, but there is more to be done.
"Our language continues past efforts to streamline complex
government rules and regulations to make it easier for businesses to
sell things to the federal government," said Thompson. "But
to make sure taxpayer dollars are protected, it does so in a way that
carefully balances affordability, accountability, and
accessibility."
"What we are doing with this amendment is continuing to bring
our procurement process into the 21st century by applying
tried and true private sector practices to the government’s purchase
of goods and services," Senator Lieberman said. "The
ultimate goal is to stretch precious taxpayer dollars by demanding
high performance and innovative solutions from the procurement
process."
The legislation includes five provisions which simplify the
government purchasing process and enable private industry to better
compete for government purchases. They include:
(1) Performance-Based Service Contracting – to establish a
preference for performance-based contracts;
(2) Organization of the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Board –
to establish the CAS Board as an independent board within the Office
of Management and Budget to ensure that accounting standards receive
appropriate attention of qualified accounting professionals;
(3) Solutions-Based Contracting Pilot Program – to permit
flexibility on the use of solutions-based contracting;
(4) Appropriate Use of Personnel Experience and Educational
Requirements in the Procurement of Information Technology Services –
to eliminate mandatory minimum requirements included in information
technology service contracts, and;
(5) Treatment of Partial Payments -- to ensure that the Prompt Pay
Act applies to partial payments (made under service contracts) which
are not paid timely.
# # # |