{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mcbath.house.gov/2026/09/09/government-watchdog-finds-defense-department-is-robbing-workers-of-fair-wages-and-benefits-in-report-requested-by-mcbath-ranking-member-scott/", "Government Watchdog Finds Defense Department is Robbing Workers of Fair Wages and Benefits in Report Requested by McBath, Ranking Member Scott", "2026-09-09", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "GA", "Lucy McBath", "M001208", "mcbath.house.gov", "mcbath", "https://mcbath.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report on the Department of Defense\u2019s (DOD) use of Intergovernmental Support Agreements (IGSAs) to obtain services from state and local governments and the impact on the workers employed under these contracts.\n\nRequested by House Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. \u201cBobby\u201d Scott (VA-03) and Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06), the report revealed that the intergovernmental support agreements adopted by DOD are undermining worker protections under the McNamara-O\u2019Hara Service Contract Act and robbing contract workers of fair wages and benefits.\n\nThe McNamara-O\u2019Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) has long provided protections to ensure that unionized firms are not disadvantaged in competition for federal contracts and that these contracts provide wages consistent with prevailing local standards. GAO found that the military services\u2019 use of IGSAs has increased dramatically in recent years. In 2018, GAO reported that 45 IGSAs had been approved across all DOD installations. That number increased to 316 in 2025.\n\nThe report examined at the minimum hourly wages for five positions and found that the minimum wages for three of the five positions under IGSAs were lower than the minimum hourly wage required under SCA, raising concerns that IGSAs are being used simply as a loophole to avoid complying with federal law. The report also found that DOD does not always conduct required cost-benefit analyses for prospective IGSAs.\n\n\u201cThe McNamara-O\u2019Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) was adopted by Congress to prevent the exploitation of workers by employers looking to win federal contracts by simply offering the lowest bids. Today\u2019s GAO report shows that not only is the Department of Defense using intergovernmental support agreements (IGSAs) to bypass the law, but it is also relying on them,\u201d said Ranking Member Scott. \u201cWhile the DOD may argue that IGSAs save the government money, it comes at the cost of shortchanging workers of fair wages and decent benefits.\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter hearing from workers in Georgia, I partnered with Ranking Member Scott to examine the increasing number of Intergovernmental Support Agreements on military bases across the country. 3 out of the 5 of the jobs examined in the report paid workers less than they would have under the Service Contract Act. The Government Accountability Office also found that there was no way to verify the accuracy of cost savings reported by these agreements,\u201d said Rep. McBath. \u201cWorking people deserve to be paid what they are owed. The Department of Defense should not exploit legal loopholes to pay workers less. I look forward to doing more with my colleagues in Congress to raise wages for American families.\u201d\n\n\u201cIGSA\u2019s undermine the purpose and goals of the McNamara-O\u2019Hara Service Contract Act of 1965, also known as the \u2018SCA\u2019. IGSA\u2019s result in substandard wages and benefits to the hardworking men and woman that perform essential installation-support services. We cannot thank the Congresswoman enough for everything she does for working people,\u201d said Jacob Owens, Vice President and Business Agent of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 926.", 1, "2026-09-11T09:25:29Z", "2026-09-11T09:27:08Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mcbath.house.gov/2026/09/09/government-watchdog-finds-defense-department-is-robbing-workers-of-fair-wages-and-benefits-in-report-requested-by-mcbath-ranking-member-scott/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7300609722733498, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}