Mike Levin: “They are being paid about 35 cents an hour. No one in the private sector can compete for a job if he has to compete with…”

“They are being paid about 35 cents an hour. No one in the private sector can compete for a job if he has to compete with prison labor on that basis. Let me say that I fundamentally disagree with the Senator from Texas on that issue. That is not the issue in the language in this bill. The issue in the language in this bill has to do with simply allowing the private sector to compete. This is one of those cases where the AFL-CIO and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the NFIB are in total agreement. We can debate this later. It is not often that you get those organizations together. But in this case they are because the issue is so fundamental. Will our private sector be allowed to bid on Government purchases or can the Federal Prison Industries have a monopoly on some items even though they are charging the Government more despite their 50-cents-an-hour payment on labor--whatever they pay--despite the fact they make no benefit payments to the prisoners. Despite all of that, in many cases they still are charging the Government more than the private sector can charge the Government. Let the private sector, for heaven's sake, bid on items which their own Government is buying. It is unthinkable that we do not allow the private sector to bid on items which their own Government is buying. It is unthinkable to me.”