GPO, OMB Unveil New Print Buying Policy

The Government Printing Office (GPO) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) have jointly announced an agreement to allow executive branch agencies to buy their printing directly from print suppliers. This move is a radical departure from where the two government agencies initially squared off on this issue.

The genesis of the agreement was a directive sent by OMB to executive branch agencies in May 2002 to eliminate the GPO's role as a print broker and allow private firms to bid for contracts directly through federal departments and agencies. The directive did not apply to printing that was sensitive to national security.

At that time, OMB director Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. said, "The time has come for the executive branch to liberate its agencies from a monopoly that unfairly penalizes both taxpayers and efficient would-be competitors."