A House committee voted Tuesday for a three-year suspension in any studies into contracting out of federal workers jobs.

The suspension in so-called A-76 studies — including halting any studies all ready under way — was approved by voice vote by the House Armed Services Committee as part of HR 2647, the 2010 Defense authorization act. A-76 is a process of competing between contractors and civilian workers for work that is done under an Office of Management and Budget rule, Circular A-76, which is how it got the name.

Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., chief sponsor of the legislation, said competitions "have not been proven to save the taxpayer enough money to justify the enormous strain they put on government offices and personnel."

He also argued that competing to hold onto jobs is distracting to commands at a time when the services are focused on two wars, trying to implement the 2005 Base Realingment and Closure round, and undergoing transformational initiatives.

Lawmakers, mostly Democrats, have been trying to years to derail the A-76 process, citing the war on terrorism as one of their chief reasons. The Bush administration opposed them, threatening to veto legislation that included a halt of contracting out of jobs.

Things have changed, though, with the Obama administration talking about trying to recapture jobs that had been converted.

Langevin said a moratorium on A-76 could help.

"The new administration must have time to review the current A-76 process and determine how it can be updated and made more useful. Until that time, it is only fair that the current system be suspended," he said.

The bill makes other changes in the A-76 process that would apply once the moratorium ends. For one, it requires that studies of whether contracting out saves money be completed in no more than 18 months and specifically allows representatives of federal employee unions to file protests over bids to contract out jobs.

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