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Congressman Cohen Asks House Leaders to Prevent Privatization of Federal Jobs

May 12, 2020

Cites plan by the Tennessee Valley Authority to outsource I.T. work

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Majority Whip James Clyburn asking them to prevent the privatization and outsourcing of federal jobs during the ongoing pandemic. Congressman Cohen cited a plan by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to outsource 108 Information Technology (I.T.) jobs to private contractors.

Congressman Cohen's letter reads in part:

"In the middle of a global health pandemic and national emergency, it is incomprehensible that TVA would outsource jobs held by hard-working Americans…It is extremely disappointing that TVA is going against its own mission of ‘making life better for the people of the Tennessee Valley' and is defending its decision to eliminate these jobs to ‘leverage the market.' Unfortunately, it is clear that Congress must step in to ensure additional jobs are not outsourced as the economy begins to recover from the effects of COVID-19.

"Therefore, as you negotiate the next coronavirus relief package with the U.S. Senate, I respectfully request the inclusion of language that prohibits federal government agencies, including the TVA, from privatizing federal jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and any other national emergency in the future."

See the entire letter here.