These files pertain to Federal contracts for buildings and facilities, services and products negotiated by agencies such as the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Health, Education and Welfare (DHEW), Department of Housing and Urban Development (DHUD), the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), the Veterans Administration (VA), the Small Business Administration (SBA), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO).
Filed here are reports from the Secretary or Deputy Secretary of Defense to the President on Small Business Participation in DOD procurement; the Attorney General's Report to the President on Voluntary Agreements and Programs Pursuant to section 708(e) of the Defense Production Act of 1950; correspondence concerning contract compliance with civil rights (the "Philadelphia Plan" for affirmative action), sex discrimination and pollution guidelines; SBA 8(a) minority subcontracting; Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76 on Federal competition with private enterprise; royalty vs. bonus bidding; use of recycled materials by Federal agencies; suspension of the Davis-Bacon Act; the Defense Production Act of 1950 and amendments to the act; various military procurement bills and amendments concerning ABM missiles, the B-1 bomber, and ending the Vietnam war; programs such as Jobs for Veterans and Operation Breakthrough (housing); buy-American protectionism vs. contracts to foreign nations; sale of crude oil from the Naval petroleum reserve; the Biafra airlift; and the sale of the Alaska Communications System to RCA.
Much of the material concerns the intense competition for aero-space contracts, businesses seeking other Federal contracts or protesting specific wards or complaining about a specific agency's administration of a contract. Some of the contracts for buildings and facilities concern construction, renovation or demolition of buildings such as the FBI Academy at Quantico, the Eisenhower Convention Center, the Hirshorn Museum and the Navy buildings on the Mall. Typical service contracts are for architectural and engineering, audio-visual, facilities maintenance, and poll services. Products contracted for or procured range from food products for the DOD or for the School Lunch Program to military aircraft and weapons systems including Trident and Safeguard missiles, B-1 bomber, C5A, F-14, F-15, F-111 and International Freedom Fighter aircraft. Other major products include satellites for the Apollo program, the space shuttle and power plant generators for the Grand Coulee Dam.
Additional topics in this file include H. Ross Perot; an alleged RAND study on civil disturbances and the possibility of suspending the 1972 Presidential election; allegations that trained sharks were used to keep fish away from the Florida White House swimming area; and that there were unusually large expenditures by the White House for pigeon spray.
