Manufacturers Hail House Passage of Cole Amendment
05/26/11 - National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons issued the following statement after the House of Representatives voted to pass the Cole amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to prevent executive agencies from requiring additional disclosure from businesses participating in the government contracting process:“Manufacturers and their employees deserve and value their privacy and the right to participate in the political process. We are committed to protecting manufacturers' First Amendment rights and will continue to oppose any measures that infringe on those fundamental rights.
“Manufacturers thank the members of the House who voted in favor of the Cole amendment. President Obama’s proposed executive order would violate First Amendment rights and inject politics into the government contracting process. If the President’s executive order is signed, businesses could be discriminated against based on their employees' past political donations or engagement and workers would be intimidated and refrain from participating in political activities.”
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