Alan Grayson: “This amendment is identical to language that was inserted by voice vote into this bill last year, as well as every other…”

“This amendment is identical to language that was inserted by voice vote into this bill last year, as well as every other appropriations bill that was considered by an open rule. This amendment would expand the list of wrongdoing parties with whom the Federal Government is prohibited from contracting. That list should contractors who have been convicted of fraud, who have violated Federal or State antitrust laws, who have been convicted of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, violation of Federal tax laws and other items outlined in section 52.209-5 of title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations. These are all offenses which any contractor doing business with the Federal Government must disclose to the contracting officer in every offer. Oddly enough however, without this amendment, the contracting officer is then free to ignore these transgressions and award contracts to the offending offeror. I commend the authors of this bill for their inclusion of sections 413 and 414, which are relevant to this issue. I submit, however, that we can improve this bill by prohibiting agencies from contracting with those entities who have engaged in the criminal and fraudulent activities that I have described. It is my hope that this amendment will be noncontroversial, as it was last year, and again be passed unanimously by voice vote by the House. I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR.…”