Hearing Of The Subcommittee On Border, Maritime And Global Counterterrorism And Subcommittee On Management, Investigations, And Oversight Of The House Committee On Homeland Security - "SBInet: Does It Pass The Border Security Test?"

Statement

Today, Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) delivered the following prepared remarks for the Subcommittee on Border,
Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism and Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and
Oversight joint hearing entitled SBInet: Does it Pass the Border Security Test?:
"I am pleased that while the Department is undergoing its analysis of the SBInet program, we are
also conducting very rigorous oversight and holding hearings regarding the viability of this costly
effort.
This Committee has conducted 11 hearings on SBI-related issues in an effort to ensure that
taxpayer funds are being properly utilized for the execution of this program.
On Tuesday, Secretary Napolitano announced that the Department of Homeland Security is
freezing all SBInet funding until a full and comprehensive assessment of the program has been
conducted.
It is vitally important to the security of this country that we continue to utilize technology at our
borders.
However, based on the reasons given by the Secretary for reaching her decision -- continued and
repeated delays of SBInet and its exorbitant cost -- I agree with the Secretary's decision to take a
closer look at SBInet to determine whether it is a viable option for securing our borders.
Approximately four years ago, DHS awarded a contract to Boeing to help secure our nation's
borders by using technology to create a "virtual fence."
Four years and a half years and over $800 million later, we are still without an effective
technological tool to secure our borders.
Even more troubling, we are now faced with the question of whether this program should even
proceed.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has pointed out time and time again the reasons
the taxpayers have not seen a true return on their investment.
From poor planning and testing, to inadequate oversight and user input, we could go on and on
about what this Administration inherited.
Today, GAO is releasing yet another report on the program.
This report, which focuses on the testing of SBInet systems, once again reveals that SBInet has
more problems than solutions.
For example, according to the report, from March 2008 to July 2009, over 1,300 defects were
found in SBInet systems.
During that same time, the number of new defects being uncovered grew at a faster rate than the
ability to fix those that had already been found.
Moreover, more than 70% of the testing procedures were rewritten as they were being executed
because the procedures that had been approved were not adequate.
This type of "on the fly" management, lacks the quality and assurance that is needed to ensure
effective testing and calls into question whether the results would have been worse had these
changes not been made.
Furthermore, Border Patrol operators, the ultimate users of SBInet, found, among other things,
that the radar systems were inaccurate; many of the cameras were operationally insufficient; and
the quality of the video feed was blurry and inconsistent.
As a result, further delays, on top of the delays the program has already experienced, are
expected. There is a saying that goes: how you practice is how you perform.
If the test results are an indication of how SBInet will perform, we will be exactly where we were
four years ago -- that is without an effective technological solution for identifying, deterring, and
responding to illegal breaches at and between border ports of entry.
Let me also note that I am extremely displeased with the fact that $833 million has been spent on
SBInet, without the full utilization of small businesses.
Both the number of small businesses and small disadvantaged businesses that were used were
below target.
Moreover, women-owned small businesses, in addition to service-connected disabled veteran-
owned small businesses were significantly below the target rate. This is unacceptable.
I am especially interested in hearing from Boeing on this issue."

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