Kathrine Frich
The judge officially blocked the controversial waiver.
Small business owners running cafeterias inside government buildings usually work far away from the political spotlight.
But a recent push to remove a specific group of federal contractors sparked a fierce legal fight. Now, a federal judge has stepped in to stop the overhaul.
A historic program
Since the 1930s, federal law has given blind entrepreneurs priority when bidding to run snack bars and dining halls on government property. The program helped thousands build independent careers.
Late last year, Education Secretary Linda McMahon tried to end this advantage at Army bases across the country.
She claimed the longstanding rule actually “adversely affects the interests of the United States.”
That move triggered immediate backlash. Four blind vendors and two advocacy groups sued the administration, according to HuffPost. Lawyers argued that officials completely bypassed normal legal procedures.
Flawed legal process
Chief Judge George L. Russell of the Maryland U.S. District Court agreed with the vendors on July 31. He officially blocked the controversial waiver. The ruling noted that McMahon failed to provide evidence or allow public comment.
The judge did not hold back.
“It is clear that Secretary McMahon failed to follow the procedural requirements under both the [law] and the Department of Education’s policy,” Russell wrote. He added that her factual findings were simply incorrect.
Nicky Gacos, president of the National Association of Blind Merchants, celebrated the court decision. He called it “a victory for every blind entrepreneur who has invested years of hard work.”
Fighting for opportunity
The administration had argued the current setup harms military readiness. Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll previously complained on a podcast about the costs. “It’s been interpreted over the years to basically mean we have to prioritize blind people when we go out for our chicken contracts,” he said.
Attorney Neel Lalchandani explained that the education secretary lacks the power to issue such broad bans. McMahon pursued “a sweeping waiver of the act at every Army dining facility nationwide,” he told HuffPost.
Disability advocates felt targeted by the administration’s sudden actions. Mark Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind, stated the government tried to end a 90-year commitment using “a closed process built on incomplete and inaccurate information.”
He emphasized the program’s real value. “The Randolph-Sheppard Act is not a special favor,” Riccobono said. He called it “a proven pathway to competitive employment, entrepreneurship, and economic opportunity.”
Sources: HuffPost
