House committee passes plain language, telecommuting bill
Measure will require federal agencies to use plain language in commonly used forms.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee passed a bill Thursday to require federal agencies to use plain language in commonly used forms, a measure to increase telecommuting opportunities for federal employees and three bills to increase accountability among government contractors.
With modifications to address Republican concerns, all the bills passed unanimously. But Oversight and Government Reform ranking member Tom Davis, R-Va., said he may oppose provisions in the contracting measures on the House floor. Davis raised concerns about a measure sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., to create a publically accessible database on federal contractor performance and misconduct. While the information might help acquisition officers, "I fail to see the value of placing it on a public Web site," Davis said.
He and other Republicans also questioned bills that would bar contractors with tax debts from receiving federal contracts and measures requiring companies that receive 80 percent of their revenue from government contracts to disclose the names and salaries of their top officers. The latter bill was introduced by Rep. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., after a hearing in which the chief executive office of Blackwater Worldwide, which relies on federal contracts for protecting U.S. officials overseas, refused to disclose his compensation.