[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6520]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       ENDING NO-BID CONTRACTS IN THE FEDERAL PROCUREMENT PROCESS

  (Mr. FLAKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Speaker, President Obama announced an initiative 
yesterday to fix the Federal procurement process. He wants to make sure 
that there are no more no-bid contracts.
  Now, this is a welcome move. But if the President really wants to get 
serious about ending no-bid contracts, he should veto the omnibus 
spending bill we are just about to send him. It contains thousands of 
no-bid contracts for private companies. If the President can't see fit 
to veto the omnibus, he should at a minimum commit to veto future 
legislation that contains no-bid contracts.
  Again, a congressional earmark for a private company is nothing more 
than a no-bid contract. What is worse, many of these congressionally 
directed no-bid contracts go to companies whose executives and their 
lobbyists turn around and make campaign contributions to those who 
secured the earmark or no-bid contract.
  This morning we will be voting on a privileged resolution to 
investigate earmarks and campaign contributions related to the PMA 
Group, an organization being investigated right now by the Department 
of Justice. I urge my colleagues to support this nonpartisan 
resolution.

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