Government faced more contract protests in 2008
The federal government faced more protests related to contract awards in 2008 than in any year in the past decade. Protests delayed more than $70 billion in contracts in the defense industry alone, but auditors found few errors in the government's decisions. Auditors also noted that competition for contracts has increased and pointed out that lawmakers' decision to allow companies to dispute task orders on major contracts has led to more protests. Houston Chronicle/The Associated Press (12/30)