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(Washington)—The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) today praised Senate Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Christopher "Kit" Bond (R-Mo.) and veteran Senate appropriator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) for their provision in the subcommittee markup of the FY06 bill that would allow a federal employees to compete for his or her job, if it were up for privatization, or contracting-out review.
The Bond-Mikulski package would ensure that, in all federal agencies for functions of ten or more employees:
"This bipartisan effort is an excellent beginning towards dealing with the multitude of problems and inequities in the controversial OMB Circular A-76 privatization process, said AFGE National President John Gage. "It is a big win for taxpayers and all Americans who depend on the federal government for important services. No one can deny that the Bond-Mikulski reform package is all about promoting competition for the American people and producing savings for the taxpayers.
AFGE has been at the forefront of working with Congress to ensure that the privatization process is level and just," Gage added. "The House of Representatives recently voted in favor of an amendment to that chamber's version of this funding bill that would give lawmakers an opportunity to rewrite the privatization process so that it would be fair and accountable. It speaks volume for AFGE’s efforts that the Senate Subcommittee has, on a bipartisan basis, already begun that effort."
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