[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 39 (Thursday, March 5, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H2986]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PROCUREMENT PROCESS GONE AMOK

  (Mr. DUNCAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, in today's Congressional Quarterly, it says 
the Presidential helicopter program is now $6.5 billion over budget. 
This is double the Pentagon's original estimate. Even President Obama 
said this was ``an example of the procurement process gone amok.''
  It seems that the Pentagon cannot complete any major program without 
huge cost overruns. Almost on every Federal program we are given low-
ball estimates of the cost on the front end, and then costs just 
explode. This has nothing to do with the current President, but no 
President needs 28 helicopters.
  The current estimate is that these helicopters will cost at least $13 
billion. But the way the Pentagon is operating these days, these 
helicopters will end up costing several billion more unless the number 
is cut way back to something a little less ridiculous.
  It makes you wonder, Mr. Speaker, if there are any fiscal 
conservatives in the Defense Department.

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