Mikulski Continues Fight for Maryland Jobs by Leveling the Playing Field for Local Businesses Competing for Federal Procurement Contracts

Press Release

U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced new reforms she included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 will reinvigorate and refresh federal procurement outreach that will level the playing field for local businesses competing for federal contracts and support Maryland jobs.

The legislation has passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives and now heads to the White House to be signed into law by the President.

"Local businesses need a government on their side when it comes to supporting jobs today and jobs tomorrow in their own communities. I am tired of fighting for federal construction funding for Maryland only to have out-of-state companies win these contracts and bring in their own labor," Senator Mikulski said. "I want to help our local companies succeed. These reforms will help them have a fair shot at federal contracts by knowing about federal construction opportunities available and being able to navigate the federal procurement rules."

Senator Mikulski's legislative language included in the bill directs the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Defense's Naval Facilities Command and the General Services Administration to do two things. First, ensure regional and district offices responsible for contract projects inform and engage local construction industry contractors, especially small businesses, minority-owned businesses, and women-owned businesses, about federal procurement opportunities and the bidding process. Second, the language requires an outreach plan for each federal agency that modernizes traditional outreach methods to reach a broader group of local contractors.

This bill provides these five agencies over $70 billion for local construction projects nationwide and $1.3 billion in Maryland. Senator Mikulski's reforms will help everyone in the construction industry know about these federal construction opportunities, the federal procurement rules and be able to compete legitimately. It will level the playing field for all contractors.

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