February 22, 2006- Norton to seek investigation of unfair competition for outsourcing at Walter Reed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2006

NORTON TO SEEK INVESTIGATION OF
UNFAIR COMPETITION FOR OUTSOURCING AT WALTER REED HOSPITAL

Washington, DC--- Upon learning that the General Accounting Office (GAO) had acquiesced in the unfair displacement of federal employees after they had won an outsourcing bid for more than 300 jobs at Walter Reed Hospital, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today issued the following statement.

“The Bush administration attempts to outsource jobs to the private sector have been continuously trumped by federal employees who have won fair competitions for their jobs, in spite of the way the process is rigged against federal employees’ success. Now, it would appear that somebody has fooled with the figures because the Army changed its ruling for the employees after a protest by a private sector company, IAP World Services, Inc., was filed. Having initially won the competition the unionized federal employees, represented by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), followed the rules and filed a protest of their own under an OMB A-76 2003 regulation. However, the GAO ruled yesterday on the technical basis that despite possible manipulation of the figures, these federal employees are not entitled to the same protest rights that the private contractor used because the law did not specifically allow such rights until after the Walter Reed competition was initiated. Normally this technicality, however unjust, would end the matter but the change of the figures by the Army before the protest was concluded leaves a thick cloud of possible unfairness over the entire process. Not only have more than 300 federal employees—who completed a rigorous process to do a job they had already been doing—lost out; so, it appears, have the taxpayers. This result stinks and the only way to clear the air is through an appropriate investigation. There are a number of avenues I am considering, but Congress is out of session and I want to consult with several Republican and Democratic members first. I also have a meeting scheduled next week with local union officials concerning the outcome of this competition.”