David Thomas: “President, today I am pleased to join Senator Levin in introducing a bill that will further my efforts to limit unfair…”

“President, today I am pleased to join Senator Levin in introducing a bill that will further my efforts to limit unfair government competition with the private sector. Throughout my career in public office, I have always taken the position that government should not compete unfairly with American small businesses. If a function or product is available in the private sector, then that should be the first avenue of choice as opposed to having that function provided by government. For several years now, Federal Prison Industries (FPI), a government entity with the purpose of keeping prisoners busy while serving their sentences, has been providing a growing variety of products and services to both the Federal Government and the private sector. Currently, FPI employs approximately 21,000 Federal prisoners or roughly 12 percent of a population of 174,000. These prisoners are responsible for producing a diverse range of products for FPI, ranging from office furniture to clothing, as well as providing a variety of services, including telemarketing. The remaining Federal prisoners who work do so in and around Federal prisons. Through its status as a sole provider of certain goods to the Federal Government, FPI has effectively blocked private sector businesses from having a chance to provide products, even though they may be able to provide a better product in a more cost effective and efficient manner.…”