[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 31, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1417-E1418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 SUPPORT THE FEDERAL PROCUREMENT SYSTEM

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. WILLIAM H. ZELIFF, JR.

                            of new hampshire

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 31, 1996

  Mr. ZELIFF. Mr. Speaker, I am introducing a bill today which will 
foster the continued participation of small business in the Federal 
Government's procurement system.
  During my tenure in Congress, I have been closely involved in the 
procurement reform debate. As a member of the key committees of 
jurisdiction over this issue, Government Reform and Oversight and Small 
Business, and in my own experience as a small businessman, I know the 
importance of the small business community in Federal procurement.
  Small business is vital to this Nation's economic success. And with 
enactment of the Federal Acquisition Reform Act, which I strongly 
supported, Congress created a newly reformed, streamlined procurement 
system designed to assist all businesses.
  Although recently, agency actions have limited small business 
participation as prime contractors in the procurement process by 
inappropriately bundling contract requirements in order to decrease the 
number of contracts an agency must manage. Government agencies have 
argued that by bundling these contract requirements, it is simply much 
easier for them to do their job because they only have to deal with one 
or two vendors instead of hundreds.
  Working with only one or two vendors as opposed to working with 
hundreds of suppliers may be easier for agencies, but limiting Federal 
contract opportunities to only a few companies on a few contracts, is 
unfair to small businesses. Not only is this practice unfair, it 
eliminates built-in competition in the Federal

[[Page E1418]]

contracting system, which in turn leads to an increase in costs for 
necessary goods and services paid for by the American taxpayer.
  This unfair contract bundling is corrected by the legislation before 
you today. In addition to maintaining the integrity of the procurement 
reforms passed last Congress and earlier this Congress, the bill 
directs agencies to avoid unnecessary agency contract consolidations. 
Removing these inappropriate consolidations ensures that more small 
business will compete for Federal contracts.
  This protective measure loudly echoes this Congress's support for the 
counsel, assistance and protection of our Nation's job creators--small 
business. By supporting this measure my colleagues will join me in my 
efforts to support both an efficient and openly competitive Federal 
procurement system.

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