High Road Contracting
The federal government has awarded contracts to irresponsible companies that consistently violate the law and treat their workforce as disposable for far too long. High road contracting will help ensure that only law-abiding companies receive government contracts, improve the quality of services provided to the government, prevent waste of taxpayer dollars, and raise job standards for American workers.
(transcript, mp4, YouTube)
For more information, see:
- High Road Government by David Madland and Karla Walter
- Taking the High Road by Karla Walter and David Madland
The Center for American Progress Action Fund, environmental organizations, members of Congress, government accountability groups, women’s groups, and antipoverty groups all have urged this administration to support high road contracting.
Featured Content
High-Road Government
New high-road federal contracting guidelines would help raise job standards, reward companies that follow the law, and prevent taxpayer waste, write David Madland and Karla Walter.
Taking the High Road
Allowing public access to contractor information is an important first step. Now the government needs more tools to protect taxpayers, write Karla Walter and David Madland.
Rein in Irresponsible Oil Drillers
David Madland and Karla Walter detail why “high-road” contracting would help prevent low-road disasters such as the BP oil catastrophe.
We Should Have Seen the BP Disaster Coming 
Karla Walter on how we can prevent disasters like Deepwater Horizon in the future with a better federal contract review process.Comments on the Proposed Rulemaking to Create a Compensation Data Collection Tool: Action Fund Supports Efforts to Uncover Discrimination Among Contractors, October 7, 2011
Making Contracting Work: Report from CAP Action and the National Employment Law Project details how the federal government can promote good workplace practices in the procurement process.
Making Contracting Work: David Madland and Michael Paarlberg argue that the federal government needs to better enforce existing laws and regulations, and focus on raising standards.
Promoting Higher Labor Standards in Federal Contracting: CAP Action's David Madland testifies before the Panel on Defense Acquisition Reform of the House Committee on Armed Services about promoting higher labor standards in federal contracting.
The Hidden Cost of Low-Wage Jobs:
Ask the Expert: David Madland and Christine L. Owens, October 20, 2009
Higher Labor Standards in Federal Contracting: John D. Podesta testifies before the Office of Management and Budget on reforming federal contracting to promote higher labor standards.
Other Products on Government Contracting
Contracting that Works: Toolkit from the American Worker Project and the National Employment Law Project outlines ways state and local governments can improve jobs generated by government contracting.
Promoting Responsible Contracting: Letter from the American Worker Project's David Madland in support of better implementation of the contractor responsibility database.
Making Government Work for Families:
The Federal Government’s Role as Employer and Contractor in Improving Family-Friendly Policies, July 20, 2009
Sole Sourcing:
Spending Tax Dollars at the Labor Department, November 29, 2007
Feasting Off the Taxpayer:
Government Contracting Abuses, May 29, 2007
Competitive Contracting:
Congress Must Clean Up Procurement, May 14, 2007
