Lieberman blasts outsourcing quotas

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) said setting arbitrary quotas for outsourcing federal jobs is wrong and not in the public interest.

Speaking to employees attending the National Treasury Employees Union legislative conference March 11, Lieberman said the Bush administration "seems bent on giving the private sector unfair advantages to take over government services and set arbitrary quotas for competing out or converting federal jobs."

While some competition is good, "the way these folks are going at it," he said, "they are going to create a situation where, if you let them go unchecked, they are going to contract out as much as 50 percent of the work."

Lieberman also raised other workforce issues that he feels the Bush administration is falling short on, including pay parity for military and civilian employees, protecting the rights of employees and unions, and money for border security.

He said the government should invest $16 billion in additional funding for homeland security in next year's budget. The president's 2004 budget request would give homeland security $300 million above what is being spent this year compared to a $19 billion increase in the Defense Department budget, Lieberman said.

The senator also called for an additional $1 billion to increase the number of border personnel by 2,000 to 3,000 in fiscal 2004.