[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 73 (Tuesday, May 3, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E452-E453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING MR. RALPH WHITE FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES 
        CONGRESS AND THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE (GAO)

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ADAM SMITH

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 3, 2022

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, as the chairman of the House 
Armed Services Committee, I would like to recognize an outstanding 
public servant, Mr. Ralph White, who has dedicated his career to 
providing bidders for government contracts with an expeditious means to 
seek accountability, and to maintaining a high rate of effectiveness in 
the bid protest process. Mr. White will retire on May 29, 2022, after a 
distinguished, 39-year career in public service, including serving 33 
years at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), where he is 
currently a Managing Associate General Counsel for the Procurement Law 
division.
  As a Senate staffer during the beginning of his career, Mr. White was 
instrumental in the drafting of the Competition in Contracting Act of 
1984, which established the authority for GAO's bid protest function, 
under which hundreds of bid protests are filed each year. Mr. White 
joined GAO in 1989 as a writing attorney/hearing officer in the 
Procurement Law division and was promoted in 2010 to lead a team of 
attorneys as an Assistant General Counsel. Since becoming a Managing 
Associate General Counsel, responsible for GAO's bid protest decision-
making authority, Mr. White has successfully led GAO's Procurement Law 
division to resolve numerous large

[[Page E453]]

and complicated bid protests with a consistently high effectiveness 
rate and has been recognized by the government contracting community as 
a preeminent legal expert and trusted mentor. Mr. White is regularly 
sought out to speak and provide insights into the bid protest process 
throughout the government, academia, and industry. Throughout his 
tenure, Mr. White has managed the resolution of protests related to 
nearly every aspect of federal procurement spending. His exceptional 
professionalism, integrity, and dedication have been recognized by 
numerous awards throughout his GAO career, including GAO's 
Distinguished Service award in 2013 and the General Counsel's Award in 
March 2010 for outstanding leadership.
  Under Mr. White's leadership, the GAO bid protest process has 
increased public confidence in the transparency, accountability, and 
functionality of the U.S. federal acquisition system. We thank him for 
his commitment and service to the Nation.

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