David Thomas: “I am concerned that some amendments adopted by Unanimous Consent may have a negative impact on the President's…”

“I am concerned that some amendments adopted by Unanimous Consent may have a negative impact on the President's Competitive Sourcing Initiative, and ultimately adversely impact the President's ability to administer the bureaucracy of the Department of Defense. As a longtime supporter of a more accountable and responsible federal government, I strongly support President Bush's competitive sourcing initiative which seeks to improve the way federal agencies operate. However, I recognize how critical it is in these times of war that we move this bill quickly and not allow it to be held up further by partisan politics. Every president for the last 50 years, Republican and Democrat alike, has endorsed the elimination of commercial functions in the federal workforce, but their plans were not vigorously implemented or enforced. As a result, nearly half of today's civilian federal workforce is doing work that could be done more efficiently by the private sector.”