National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011

Floor Speech

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Mr. ISSA. Mr. Sarbanes, I am sure, is well-intended with this amendment. But I hope the Chair will take note that this amendment is wholly outside the jurisdiction of this committee. And for that reason, it would be subject to a rule, if the rule allowed it.

More importantly, it is very clear that although well-intended, it falls short of its intended mark. Mr. Sarbanes in his comments, rightfully so, said he wanted to establish standards. But I am sure the gentleman wants to establish a standard.

This amendment would establish every agency having a different standard. We already have the Office of Management and Budget and other agencies working to define inherently governmental in a uniform way, and that is critical. We do not want to bring in anything which is less expensive to do out-of-house and is not necessary to bring in-house.

I share with the gentleman the desire to make sure that which must be done by the government, that which is so special that we definitely do not want profit fitting into the equation, we want it done by the government.

I never again want to consider anything being outsourced simply because we don't have the will to build the resources in-house, particularly when it often can cost more, not less, to outsource.

So I would hope that the gentleman would withdraw his amendment, one, because it's outside the jurisdiction of this committee; and, two, because there is a time and a place to get a standard. We already have an effort under way by this administration to establish a single standard, one that could be uniformly executed that would save money and save confusion.

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