AIA Government Affairs joined other design industry groups to help defeat a TRAC ("Truthfulness, Responsibility, and Accountability in Contracting")-like amendment to the FY 2003 National Defense Authorization Act, S. 125. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), would have limited the Department of Defense to contracting for services with the private sector. It also would have forced the Defense Department to engage in lengthy public/private competitions for new work and work already under contract. The amendment would have required the government to make sourcing decisions based on lowest cost, rather than on technical qualifications. The Senate voted to set aside the Kennedy amendment on a narrow 50-49 vote.

Because it is so difficult to pass a standalone bill, proponents of "anti-contracting-out" legislation—particularly the American Federation of Government Employees—have been aggressively offering TRAC-like amendments to various authorization and appropriation measures. The AIA, therefore, is working hard to defeat any anti-contracting-out provisions attached to federal legislation. Components and individual AIA members can reinforce these efforts by telling their own representatives that the current system for outsourcing A/E services is working. For more information, contact Paul Mendelsohn, 202-626-7388.

Copyright 2002 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.