House panel approves GSA reorganization

The House Government Reform Committee Thursday approved a bill that calls for streamlining operations within the General Services Administration, the agency that procures goods and services for the rest of the federal government.

The bill (H.R. 2066) sponsored by Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., passed on voice vote and without debate. The measure would create a new Federal Acquisition Service that would combine the Federal Supply Service, which purchases office equipment and other materials, with the Federal Technology Services, which provides information technology products.

"This bill begins to remove the old structures that inhibit efficient federal purchases of solutions that are a mix of products, services, and technology," Davis said.

The bill also allows the agency's administrator to chose up to five regional executives for the new acquisition service to enhance procurement oversight. Recent allegations of contract mismanagement at the GSA's regional offices prompted Davis and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, to monitor procurement more closely.

The bill would also help the GSA keep good employees by allowing it to offer retention bonuses.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., introduced an amendment, which passed by voice vote, striking a section of the bill requiring that the commissioner of the new acquisition service be a non-career employee. Maloney said under the original language the position would inevitably be filled by a political appointee. She said her amendment would allow the agency to appoint the most qualified person for the job, even if he or she is a career employee.

Maloney said the panel likely "saved the taxpayers billions of dollars." She noted that people overseeing procurement in New York City been subject to corruption and that the job was "best left up to professionals."

Davis offered a substitute amendment making technical changes to the bill that was approved on a voice vote.