CHANTILLY, VA — Phil Meyers, president of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA), responded to the Bush administration’s suspension of the responsible contractor regulations, saying, “We regret that firms with bad legal records will continue to be eligible for and receive federal contracts during the period these rules are suspended.

“Companies that violate federal workplace safety, environmental, discrimination, labor, and other federal procurement laws should be held accountable by contracting officials rather than just given fines and subsequent contracts after repeated lawbreaking.”

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council issued a 270-day suspension of the Federal Contractor Qualification Standards April 3, and has proposed a comment period on its proposal for a complete withdrawal of the rule.