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Politics & Government

Potential Outsourcing Plan on Hold

Following Patchogue protest, USAID reviews training program.

Following protests by Patchogue residents and their U.S. congressional representative, a plan that could have led to the outsourcing of American jobs to Sri Lanka was put on hold last week.

The United States Agency for International Development suspended its job-skills development project in Sri Lanka while it reviews the program to make sure the efforts won't steal American jobs, according to Lynne Weil, spokesperson for USAID.

The organization has been considering a project to fund free training courses in "business process outsourcing and English language skills" to more than 3,000 under- and unemployed students in Sri Lanka.

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However, several unemployed Patchogue residents rallied around Rep. Tim Bishop, D-NY, on Aug. 9 to express their concerns, specifically that the program would result in sending more jobs overseas.

Protestors were even more concerned that taxpayer money would be funding the endeavor.

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"I am glad that USAID has finally seen the light," Bishop said. "We need to be looking out for American jobs and American taxpayers, and that means not one nickel of taxpayer money should support job-killing outsourcing."

Weil said the project complied with USAID's policy guidelines that made sure projects don't adversely affect U.S. jobs. However, the organization is revising guidelines, which were written in 2003, to modernize them to today's more-globalized economy, she said.

If USAID still goes forward with its project, Bishop said he's ready to introduce a bill prohibiting the organization from spending taxpayer money on outsourcing training programs.

"Everybody knows that outsourcing takes jobs away from American workers," Bishop said. "If guidelines that are supposed to protect American jobs allow for outsourcing, then I think it's safe to say those guidelines need major revision."

Weil said the project evaluation, which began on Sept. 1, should be completed by the end of the year.

"USAID takes seriously its responsibility for the sound investment of taxpayer money," she said. "It is important to remember that USAID's work impacts not only direct recipients of development cooperation, but also the global economy, so getting the policy right is priority one."

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