Heinrich Brings Accountability to Defense Acquisition
Press Release
Amendment to Acquisition Bill Adopted on Unanimous Vote
Today, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) unanimously adopted an amendment offered by U.S. Representative Martin Heinrich (NM-01) to H.R. 2101, the Weapons Acquisition System Reform Through Enhancing Technical Knowledge and Oversight Act of 2009. H.R. 2101 was successfully voted out of HASC, including the amendment offered by Rep. Heinrich, and will now go to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.
"For years, taxpayers have paid for defense programs that end up costing more and taking longer to complete than expected," said Rep. Heinrich. "Congress must look for ways to eliminate unnecessary spending, and this amendment is a step in that direction."
H.R. 2101 focuses on major weapons system acquisition which encompasses the vast majority of the weapon systems, such as tanks, aircraft, ships, and artillery. The Government Accountability Office compiles an annual assessment of the performance by the U.S. Department of Defense on major weapons system acquisition. The most recent annual report, released on March 30, 2009, identified cumulative cost growth of $296 billion on 96 major defense acquisition programs and an average schedule slip of 22 months. The amendment, offered by Rep. Heinrich and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08), requires that standard tools and systems engineering processes are in place during the earliest stages of development. This would minimize cost increases and avoid unnecessary time delays.
"My amendment will reduce development risk and cost growth, reduce the time from system development to deployment, establish a clear process to measure acquisition progress, and ensure that the largest number of programs start with a solid planning foundation," said. Rep. Heinrich.
In a 2008 report to the U.S. Air Force, the National Research Council strongly recommended that the military services reestablish their development planning capabilities.
Source