Ernest Istook: “Mr. Chairman, I think part of the problem with this as part of not being what it is said to be, is that this amendment…”

“Mr. Chairman, I think part of the problem with this as part of not being what it is said to be, is that this amendment seeks to outlaw math. It says we cannot adopt a target or a goal for outsourcing jobs if there is a number involved in the goal. We cannot set a numerical target. Each agency has identified under law what they have that are jobs being done by Federal workers that are actually commercial in nature. It could be cleaning, data processing, payroll services, construction. This says the administration's goal for each agency, take whatever they have identified, and do not try to compete them all, just compete 15 percent. They say because it is a number, they outlaw it. If they are serious about this, they should say we should not try to compete more than this percentage of each agency's jobs; but they are trying to say we cannot set a goal that involves a number, which means we cannot set a goal. This effort to save taxpayers money will not do anything because they will stop that effort.”