CHANTILLY, VA — Lonnie Coleman, a mechanical contractor from Cleveland, OH, testified recently before the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR). Representing more than 12,000 specialty contractor firms of the Mechanical Electrical Sheet Metal Alliance, Coleman urged that FAR reinstate the clarified contractor responsibility determination procedures included in the Dec. 20 final rule.

“The taxpayers benefit much more from improving business practices in the public contracting market under the revised rules,” said Coleman.

The Alliance says that regulations are necessary because the current statute is very general and, without further elaboration, the risk of abuse of discretion is greater. The organization believes that such regulations lead government to continue awarding contracts to firms that have violated procurement and other federal laws, in some cases repeatedly.

Publication date: 07/02/2001