Charleston Reporter

(Washington D.C., July 24, 2024) - Today, the Left sided with big labor interests and blocked the ACCESS Act from passing the House after originally supporting the bill in committee and speaking in support of it on the floor of the House.

The ACCESS Act aimed to remove arbitrary four-year educational requirements for federal contractors in government solicitations. The bill intended to open up government contracting opportunities to a broader and more diverse pool of talented individuals but failed with a vote of 178-234.

"Last night Democrats offered their full support of our bill on the House floor,” said Congresswoman Nancy Mace. “But after being bullied by big labor, they caved the day of the vote. The Left is leaving American workers behind and chose to cling to an outdated job application process that burdens our workforce. It’s shameful.”

The ACCESS Act proposed unlocking a talent pool by removing unnecessary barriers, thus opening up opportunities for a wider range of talented individuals and small businesses to secure contracts with the federal government. Additionally, it aimed at meeting demand as the federal government faces a recruitment crisis due to an aging workforce, competition with the private sector, and slow bureaucratic hiring processes.

The bill would have prioritized experience first for proposed contractor personnel in federal contract solicitations unless deemed absolutely necessary by the agency. It had received endorsements from organizations like IBM, Workday, Charleston Defense Contractors Association, among others who recognized the need for this shift in hiring practices.

For more information, please contact SC01Press@mail.house.gov.

###