Demanding Fairness and Open Competition
for Government Contracts

Recently, in direct response to President Obama’s executive order to remove the prohibition on union-only project labor agreements (PLAs), I introduced H.R. 983, the Government Neutrality in Contracting Act. This legislation ensures that federal construction contracts – such as the $150 billion contained in the Democrat stimulus bill - are awarded based on sound credible criteria such as quality of work, experience and most importantly cost - instead of union affiliation. It is simply unacceptable to allow the federal government to discriminate against 84 percent of the U.S. private construction workforce – and the 95 percent in Oklahoma - who seek federal contracts. Studies show that PLAs can drive up the cost of construction projects as much as 20 percent. My bill is just good government, plain and simple. We owe it to Oklahoma businesses whose livelihood depends on their ability to bid on construction projects in a fair and open process.

Promoting English as our National Language

I recently became an original cosponsor of legislation to make English the official language of our nation. H.R. 997, the English Language Unity Act, gives the federal government an affirmative obligation to preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the United States, including encouraging greater opportunities for individuals to learn the English language. It also directs the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services to enforce the established English language proficiency standard for all applicants for U.S. citizenship, and conduct all naturalization ceremonies entirely in English.

In the United States, there are at least 28 different dominant languages spoken by at least 100,000 people. This bill will help immigrants fully integrate into American society by encouraging them to learn English. Currently, 27 states already have English only laws, but because of bureaucratic federal mandates, they are forced to conduct business in other languages. As an original cosponsor of this bill, I believe that if this nation is to have a sense of unity and clear communication with one another, especially in official and governmental matters, we must have one official language, although one should always feel free to speak their native language at home, or between themselves.