[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 39 (Wednesday, March 20, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H2471-H2472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PRIVATE CONTRACTOR COLLECTS THOUSANDS FOR GOVERNMENT FOR ONLY $54

  (Mr. EHRLICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. EHRLICH. Mr. Speaker, 3 weeks ago the Federal Government finally 
got around to using the services of the National Credit Management 
Corp. of Hunt Valley, MD, a company located in my congressional 
district.
  Under the terms of the contract, NCMC would send collection letters 
to companies and individuals that owed the Government money.
  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission turned over 100 accounts to NCMC 
and paid the company $54 for the entire project. These were accounts 
that the NRC had previously tried unsuccessfully to collect. In just 3 
weeks, those initial 100 letters sent out by NCMC have brought in 
$63,000.
  What I would like to know, Mr. Speaker, is why every agency of the 
Federal Government is not taking advantage of private debt-collection 
services? More than $50 billion in nontax

[[Page H2472]]

debt is owed to the Federal Government. Another $60 to $70 billion in 
tax debt is owed to the IRS. Every day the Government does not collect 
its delinquent debt costs taxpayers millions of dollars, while many 
companies, such as the National Credit Management Corp., stand ready to 
collect that debt.

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