{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://meadows.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-meadows-bill-will-head-to-presidents-desk-0", "Rep. Meadows' Bill will Head to President's Desk", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "NC", "Mark Meadows", "M001187", "meadows.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C\u2014On Wednesday, Rep. Mark Meadows\u2019 (R \u2013NC) bill to extend the Government Accountability Office\u2019s (GAO) authority to hear protests over civilian agency contracts passed the Senate. The bill passed the House in September and will now head to the President\u2019s desk.\nWhenever the government issues civilian agency contracts, individual contractors are permitted to protest the government\u2019s decision before the GAO to ensure transparency and a fair process. A contractor can protest any civilian agency award over $10 million before the GAO. However, the GAO\u2019s authority to hear civilian award protests expired on September 30, 2016. Effects of the expiration date have already been realized, as just last month, the GAO was forced to dismiss a significant protest over a National Institute of Health contract award.\nRep. Meadows\u2019 bill would make the GAO\u2019s authority permanent, similar to their permanent authority to hear Department of Defense task order protests. This will ensure that contractors to civilian agencies have the same rights as contractors to defense agencies.\n\u201cThis is a common sense policy that I am thrilled to see pass the Senate,\u201d Rep. Meadows said. \u201cIn the federal government\u2019s issuing of contracts, transparency and fairness are always standards we should strive toward, and we are now one step closer to updating our laws and ensuring that civilian award protests can continue. I want to thank my friend, Congressman Gerry Connolly, for his work on the bill, and I look forward to the President giving the final signature.\u201d\nRep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) is an original cosponsor of the bill.\n\u201cI am glad to join my colleague, Congressman Mark Meadows, in applauding the passage of this common sense reform. This legislation ensures that contractors to civilian agencies continue to have the same right as contractors to defense agencies to protest task orders and to have that protest heard by the GAO. This bill will provide a level playing field and help make sure that the taxpayers are getting the best possible value for every dollar spent.\u201d\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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://meadows.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-meadows-bill-will-head-to-presidents-desk-0"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7617869414389133, "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"}