[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 63 (Tuesday, May 4, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H2610]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             AIR FORCE BOONDOGGLES COST TAXPAYERS BILLIONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, last week it was reported by the Associated 
Press that an Air Force communications satellite worth $800 million had 
ended up in the wrong orbit. This was the third failure in a row for 
the Air Force Titan IV program, at a total loss to the taxpayers of 
over $3 billion. This latest satellite not only ended up in the wrong 
orbit, it ended up in a lopsided orbit thousands of miles below its 
intended orbit.
  I have taken the floor many times over the years to point out 
examples of wasteful or exorbitant Federal spending. John Martin has 
for several years had a segment called It's Your Money on the ABC 
national television news, pointing out almost every week some example 
of horrible Federal waste. He has performed a great service to this 
Nation in bringing this series to the attention of the American people.
  The examples, unfortunately, are far too easy to find. Examples of 
ridiculously wasteful Federal spending are everywhere. It has made me 
wonder if the Federal Government can do anything in an efficient or 
economical way.
  But this Titan IV program really takes the cake. Three failures at a 
cost of $3 billion; $3 billion down the drain.
  What really adds insult to injury, Mr. Speaker, is that, because this 
is the Federal Government, no one will really be held accountable for 
this. In the private sector if a company had three major failures like 
this, heads would roll in a big way. Of course, in the private sector, 
no company could afford $3 billion in failures unless possibly it was a 
big-time Federal contractor subsidized by the taxpayer.
  The Appropriation Committees of the House and Senate should demand 
accountability here. They should not stand for $3 billion from three 
failed launches.
  But the easiest thing in the world, Mr. Speaker, is to spend other 
people's money. So what are we going to do? Thursday we are going to 
give big increases in pay and pensions and funding for the same Air 
Force that has sat around and allowed this $3 billion in failures to 
occur.
  Federal employees are great at rationalizing or justifying even 
ridiculous losses. I am sure that the Air Force will have some great 
excuses, and everyone connected with this will be able to explain why 
it was not their fault. Well, somebody is at fault and probably several 
people, and they should lose their jobs over this.
  Even though we talk about a billion dollars up here like it was very 
little, $3 billion is still an awful lot of money. This satellite, as I 
said earlier, cost $800 million. Last Friday's mission alone cost $1.23 
billion. Just think how much good could have been done with the total 
$3 billion in losses in this Titan IV Air Force program.
  Now, I favor a strong military and I believe we should have a strong 
Air Force, but I do not believe we should just sit back and allow any 
part of the military to throw away $3 billion. We should not just 
cavalierly accept this.
  Several years ago, Edward Rendell, the Democratic Mayor of 
Philadelphia, said at a congressional hearing, ``Government does not 
work because it was not designed to. There is no incentive for people 
to work hard so many do not. There is no incentive for people to save 
money so much of it is squandered.''
  How true this statement was and is. This is why it has been proven 
over and over and over again all over this world that the more money 
that can be left in the private sector, the better off everyone is; the 
lower prices are, the more jobs that are created, the better the 
economy is.
  Competitive pressures force the private sector to spend money wisely, 
to spend it in economical, efficient, conservative, productive ways. 
Private companies do not have the luxury the government has of being 
able to waste billions with almost no meaningful repercussions.
  The Air Force should publicly apologize for dropping this $3 billion 
down this Titan IV rat hole. The Congress should be assured that 
nothing like this will ever happen again.
  It is really sad, Mr. Speaker, to take $3 billion from the families 
and children of this country, many of whom are barely getting by, to 
give to highly paid bureaucrats and Air Force officers to just blow in 
this way. What would be even sadder would be if the Air Force and 
everyone associated with these failures is not deeply embarrassed and 
ashamed.

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