NAM opposes federal ‘blacklisting’ regulation on manufacturers

A national manufacturing trade organization opposes the Obama administration for what it deems “another burdensome regulation.”

National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons blasted the Department of Labor and the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council after the two groups finalized the “blacklisting” regulation. NAM charges the new rule may block businesses, including manufacturers, from working with the federal government “whether or not they have violated workplace laws.”

“A system already exists for weeding out bad actors and ensuring they do not receive government contracts,” Timmons said. “Now hardworking, responsible manufacturers could lose out on valuable job-creating work with the federal government for no good reason. This regulation is akin to a bizarre ‘guilty until proven innocent’ policy that significantly burdens manufacturers who will have to expend countless hours and resources to ensure they do not run afoul of a fundamentally unfair regulation.”

Timmons argued the government is “out of control” on the issue of regulations and said the blacklisting rule is a clear example.

“Manufacturers average more than $19,500 in compliance costs per employee per year, and that number nearly doubles to $34,671 for small manufacturers with fewer than 50 employees. For manufacturers being crushed by the weight and costs of regulations, this administration has gone too far,” Timmons said.