Administration Opposes Contracting Provision

The Bush administration, in formal comments on the House-passed DoD budget measure (HR-4546) raised objections to a provision that it said could double the number of federal employees working at DoD maintenance and repair depots whose jobs are exempt from possible privatization. Language in the measure would include acquisitions logistics, supply management, systems engineering, maintenance and modification management positions among the “core” positions exempt from contracting out. In a position paper, the White House said that change “would severely limit the department’s ability to manage logistics and acquisition programs” at the risk of higher costs and inefficiency. “Furthermore, this provision would undermine one of the president’s top management agenda goals to increase competitive sourcing,” it said.