Group steps up efforts to repeal contractor ethics regulation

The National Alliance Against Blacklisting (NAAB), a coalition of business groups organized against a controversial Clinton administration regulation on government procurement, has increased its effort to get the Bush administration to repeal the rule. In comments submitted to the General Services Administration by a Friday deadline, the NAAB expressed "strong" support for the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council's proposal to repeal the rule. The so-called blacklisting regulation would require federal contractors to meet certain standards on labor and other areas. Industry groups, including those representing high-tech businesses, have complained that the regulation would be burdensome and harm competition. NAAB includes the electronics trade group AeA, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable, the National Association of Manufacturers and others.