Beauprez Votes To Create Jobs For Law Abiding Americans

Bill Allows Private Sector Firms to Compete for Federal Government Contracts

WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-Colo) supported passage of the Federal Prison Industries (FPI) reform bill, which will allow private sector firms to compete for government contracts.

"As a co-sponsor of this legislation, I support pursuing every measure possible to help American firms and their law-abiding employees to compete for these contracts," Beauprez said. "The FPI Competition in Contracting Act levels the playing field so that those in the private sector can at least bid on contract opportunities that they fund with their own tax dollars."

H.R. 2965 requires FPI to compete with private sector firms for federal contracts and provide rehabilitative work opportunities for inmates through partnerships with non-profit agencies like Habitat for Humanity and community service organizations.

FPI employs inexpensive prison labor to assemble products that must be purchased by federal agencies, including furniture, clothing and textiles and fleet management and vehicular components. FPI compensates its workers at wages of between $.23 cents and $1.15 an hour and pays no local, state or federal taxes.

Currently, if a federal agency needs a product offered by FPI, it must make the award to FPI or obtain FPI's permission to solicit competitive offers from the private sector. Federal agencies must buy FPI's product even if commercial products better meet the agency's need and can be acquired more quickly and at a lower cost.