[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 126 (Thursday, August 2, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1699]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   TSA PROCUREMENT REFORM ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER P. CARNEY

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 1, 2007

  Mr. CARNEY. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the ``TSA 
Procurement Reform Act of 2007.'' This Act will increase contracting 
transparency at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), open 
opportunities for small businesses, and eliminate wasteful and 
duplicative bureaucracy. This Act is necessary because TSA was exempted 
from the near-universal federal contracting system, the Federal 
Acquisition Regulation (FAR), after the September 11th terrorist 
attacks.
  It makes no sense that every other organization in the Department of 
Homeland Security--and the vast majority of the federal government--is 
governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation, yet TSA plays by its 
own rules. Even while we are at war, the Department of Defense uses the 
FAR. This exemption for TSA creates an unnecessary layer of 
bureaucracy, decreases competition, and shuts out small businesses from 
too many contracting opportunities.
  The legislation will repeal the TSA's exemption from federal 
contracting laws 180 days after enactment. The legislation is supported 
by a broad coalition from the oversight and business communities. 
Citizens Against Government Waste and the Professional Services 
Council--a trade association representing more than 220 federal 
contractors--both support the intent of this bill.
  Years of contract mismanagement prove that there is no longer 
justification for the exemption. Over the last several years, the TSA 
has awarded contracts filled with wasteful spending, including a 
contract to Boeing that jumped from $508 million to $1.2 billion and a 
contract to Pearson Government Solutions that first cost $104 million 
and skyrocketed to $741 million in less than one year.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the 
Capitol and both sides of the aisle to ensure that we strengthen our 
homeland security as much as possible and eliminate the many 
deficiencies at DHS and throughout the federal government impeding our 
Nation from being as safe as we would like.

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