Hearing of the Oversight and Management Efficiency Subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee - Opening Statement of Rep. Thompson, Hearing on DHS Financial Systems: Will Modernization Ever Be Achieved

Hearing

The recent hurricanes illustrate that when a crippling natural disaster or other major incident hits our country, the Department of Homeland Security needs a precise understanding of both its human and financial resources in order to make timely decisions that will ultimately affect the American people.

Its goes without saying that knowing how funds are distributed and spent throughout the Department at any given moment is critical to ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent effectively and efficiently. Throughout my tenure on this Committee we have initiated multiple GAO audits and held oversight hearings on financial systems modernization, and it is clear that it is more than an uphill battle for DHS.

For over a decade, DHS has attempted to modernize its financial systems, and has been unsuccessful to date. Since DHS' inception there have been three failed attempts to modernize the agency's financial systems--leaving billions of taxpayer dollars wasted. Before DHS embarks on another attempt to modernize its financial systems it should at least have an adequate and thorough roadmap of how this modernization is to be achieved.
Unfortunately, President Trump has made it clear that financial systems modernization is not a priority at DHS, leaving the fate of financial management systems modernization uncertain. Under the President's Budget, DHS would lose $41 million toward its Financial Systems Modernization program.

The President's misguided priorities for DHS include diverting critical resources away from information technology improvements towards fulfilling campaign fantasies, such as a multi-billion dollar wall along the Southern border.

I look forward to hearing from the witnesses today about the lessons learned from previous modernization efforts and how DHS can move forward in a positive direction for the good of the Department and out of respect for the American taxpayers' hard- earned dollars.

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