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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office Of The Vice President

For Immediate Release September 30, 1997

STATEMENT OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

On New Federal Procurement Regulations

The federal procurement regulations we are announcing today represent a victory for the taxpayer over bureaucracy.

Today's Federal Register contains the long-awaited rewrite to Part 15 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation with regard to negotiated procurements, a step first recommended by the National Performance Review. The new regulations will enable vendors and government agencies to have more meaningful exchanges of information much earlier in the process, when the benefits of such exchanges are the greatest. Further, the new Part 15 institutes a number of steps to make government practices more closely resemble those used by successful firms when they buy goods and services.

In streamlining the acquisition process, the Administration was careful to ensure that the impartiality Americans expect in their procurement system remains as an overarching requirement in every purchase the government makes. In addition, the rewrite carefully refrained from instituting any procedures that could result in any competitive disadvantage to small businesses.

Today's announcement represents our most recent effort to create a less-regulated environment that emphasizes empowerment and flexibility, ends many unnecessary regulatory requirements, fosters competitiveness and commercial practices, and shifts to a new emphasis on choosing "best value" goods and services.