Bush team may seek to put off contractor ethics rules

A Bush administration interagency team will meet this week to discuss a delay on implementing rules imposing ethical standards on government contractors, according to a government source.

The Clinton administration published the so-called "blacklisting" rules in its last days at the head of government.

The meeting among Bush administration officials on what to do about the rules is expected to include representatives from the Office of Management and Budget, the Defense Department, NASA and the General Services Administration.

Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., requested a six-month delay on the blacklisting rules in a Jan. 17 letter to agency officials. He cited the difficulty of implementing the rules on short notice.

The rules technically took effect Jan. 19 and are applicable to all procurements of more than $100,000. An interagency decision on how to enforce them may come as soon as the end of the week, the source said.