Although the Senate and the House Appropriations committees this summer voted in favor of banning cooperative purchasing, which Congress proposed three years ago, the issue may end up at the budget conference table. If the program has a savior, it likely is a procedural point in the House rules that gives the Appropriations Committee authority to hand out funds but restricts it from setting policy. That power belongs to the oversight and authorizing committees, House staff members said. The full committee then passed the measure without objection, committee staff members said. But some House lawmakers are arguing that Appropriations overstepped its authority.
House rules make a clear distinction between appropriation and legislation.
Northup said she knew when she introduced the amendment that it was in violation of House procedures and that another member could hold up the amendment on a point of order. But the first-term congresswoman said she felt introducing the measure was the last chance the House had to repeal the plan to give state and local buyers access to General Services Administration schedule contracts. Northup said she is against cooperative purchasing because the measure would hurt local businesses. Northup acknowledged that she would not have introduced the repeal language if the Senate had not passed a similar measure. He wants GSA to set up a pilot for state and local buyers to use information technology schedule contracts.