Lawmakers put the Finishing Touches this week on Military Funding Legislation that contains a Provision that stands to significantly Benefit Amazon.

The Amendment, Section 801 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), would help Amazon establish a tight Grip on the lucrative, $53 Billion Government Acquisitions Market.  

The Provision, dubbed the “Amazon Amendment” by Experts would allow for the Creation of an Online Portal that Government Employees could use to Purchase everyday Items such as Office supplies or Furniture.

Section 801 Directs The General Services Administration (GSA) to Establish and Administer a Program through which The Department of Defense (DOD) will purchase Commercial Off-The-Shelf COTS Items through Existing Online Marketplaces. While GSA will Administer the Program, it is Prohibited from running the Marketplaces. The Bill makes clear the Marketplaces may not be Managed by the Government and may not be used Primarily by the Government. The Marketplaces must be Run by Private Entities that Aggregate, Distribute, Sell, and/or Manufacture Products.

During the early 1990s, I worked at a Mail Order Company, as their Manager of Information Services or today CIO, that provided the same Service to the GSA. First we had to win the contract for Office Supplies and Furniture. I then developed a Online Portal but also created a Managers Budget system, GSA Budget Gatekeeper. Each Departments Manager entered who could Purchase, and Budgets for Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly, and Special Request Process. Then we entered the Contract Prices for all Items on the Contract. Managers could create Reports using a Report Writer we created.

I was then selected to be the Company's GSA Monitor. I had to report to Congress with periodic reports. The Contract stated we could not sell these Products lower then the Contract Price to our Customer Base, 40 Million Customers including the Production of 27 Different Catalogs, in 5 Languages, produced Worldwide. I was called on the carpet twice when Local Sale Representatives did.









NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker