[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 77 (Thursday, May 22, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H4533]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES TAKING AMERICAN JOBS

  (Mr. HOEKSTRA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, one of the fastest growing companies in 
America today is Federal Prison Industries. In the last 2 weeks they 
have unveiled a brand-new scheme to take jobs from the private sector 
and move them into Federal Prison Industries.
  Their new scheme is, under competitive bidding, companies come in and 
present their bids; and at the opening, companies get excited because 
they have won the bid. But Federal Prison Industries comes in and says 
no, no, no, you do not understand the new bidding process. Give us your 
bid. We will take a look at it, and then there will be a second round 
of bidding. But the only company that gets to bid in the second round 
is Federal Prison Industries.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time to stop this charade. It is time to provide 
best value to government contractors. Let the bidding process work. Let 
American workers compete against Federal prisons, so they can keep 
their jobs.

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