In an op-ed published on March 20, Parabilis Chairman Dr. Ed Bersoff and CEO Bruce Lyman urged Congress to save government contractor jobs during this time of economic crisis. The piece is partially republished below:
Lawmakers are working at breakneck pace to combat the coronavirus-induced economic panic. Checks for citizens, flexible business loans, free coronavirus tests, and more are being considered in a bipartisan effort to restore jobs and to stop unemployment from reaching 20 percent
We’re grateful that Congress and the White House are coming through for the American people, as lawmakers did in 2008 and 2009 during the Great Recession. As the final adjustments are made to the stimulus package, we urge lawmakers to make two temporary, cost-free changes to federal law which will save hundreds of thousands of jobs.
These jobs are held by America’s small business government contractors – private-sector public servants who have been forced to work remotely due to coronavirus concerns. Some of these jobs cannot be done remotely because of the hands-on, sensitive, or classified nature of their work. What this means is that contractors are working fewer hours and making less money…forcing business owners have to make hard choices about paying staff, firing employees and even keeping the lights on.