WASHINGTON – The privatization of civilian jobs at West Point appears to be blocked.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense voted to prevent the Pentagon from privatizing some 6,000 civilian and military jobs including over 500 at West Point. Congressman Maurice Hinchey, with the support of Congressman John Hall, secured the subcommittee’s approval to block a Pentagon decision that would privatize jobs under a plan originated during the Bush administration.

The bill must now be approved by the full House and the Senate, but Hinchey is confident of both.

“By preventing the privatization of long-standing government jobs at West Point and elsewhere we are protecting workers from having their jobs downgrades with lower pay and less benefits,” Hinchey said. “We cannot allow the Pentagon to carry forward a terrible policy utilized by the Bush administration to chip away at the rights and benefits of thousands of civilian and military employees.”

American Federation of Government Employees Local 2367 President Don Hale said the privatization effort was “doomed right from the outset.”