The House has passed an appropriations bill covering the Agriculture Department and certain other agencies (HR-3161) that, like prior recent versions, bars contracting out studies in rural development or farm loan programs. The White House has issued a statement of opposition but has never vetoed predecessor bills over similar language. Meanwhile, both the House-passed version of a measure covering EEOC, among other agencies, and the Senate committee-passed version (HR-3093 and S-1745) would cut off money for a pilot project for a contractor-operated call center there, presumably meaning that the work would be brought in-house. And the House-passed DoD appropriations bill (HR-3222) would continue requirements that for functions employing 10 or more workers, the in-house bid must be based on an most efficient organization and the contractor would have to prove savings of at least $10 million or 10 percent to get the work, and that the contractor could not gain an advantage by offering health insurance to which it contributes less than the government contributes toward the FEHB. Similar language is pending in several other bills.