A Victory for American Workers

Law-abiding, tax-paying American workers scored a victory in the long battle for fairness when the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday passed legislation that would reform Federal Prison Industries.

Inmates paid a fraction of the federal minimum wage in prisons across America are currently given contracts for products and services by the federal government, contracts for which private sector firms are not even allowed to compete.

Inmates would still receive the training in prison that will be necessary for them to successfully reenter the workforce under the bill, only private sector firms will be able to compete with FPI for the contracts that they pay for with their tax dollars.

I look forward to the full House again passing the comprehensive legislation – as it did in 2003 by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 350-36 – and the Senate passing a companion bill so that we can finally send it to the President for his signature.