[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 62 (Thursday, April 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IMPLEMENTING MANAGEMENT FOR PERFORMANCE AND RELATED REFORMS TO OBTAIN 
                 VALUE IN EVERY ACQUISITION ACT OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 28, 2010

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5013) to 
     amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for 
     performance management of the defense acquisition system, and 
     for other purposes:

  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 5013--the 
IMPROVE Acquisition Act of 2010. I thank my good friends and colleagues 
Congressman Rob Andrews and Armed Services Committee Chairman, Ike 
Skelton, for continuing the good work the Committee did last year to 
reform the defense acquisition process. Importantly, the bipartisan 
IMPROVE Acquisition Act will save taxpayers $27 billion each year.
  H.R. 5013 will, among other things, update the system by which the 
Department of Defense acquires weapons systems, commercial goods, and 
services. Over the past 20 years, the Defense Department has shifted 
its primary purchases from weapons systems to services. To reign in the 
costs associated with this outdated system and ensure the warfighter's 
needs are met, the committee has written a comprehensive bill that 
provides for better management of the acquisition system, reform of the 
requirements process upon which the acquisition process depends, a more 
professional acquisition workforce, more effective financial 
management, and improvements in outreach to the industrial base so that 
the government is getting the best quality at the lowest price.
  In particular, Title IV of the IMPROVE Act has several important 
provisions to Michigan's 15th District and cleaning up the abuses of 
government contractors. First, it develops measures to utilize more of 
the defense industrial base in order to reach small- and mid-size 
businesses. I am fully supportive of this provision. As a personal 
note, Mr. Chair, I hear from companies throughout Michigan's 15th 
Congressional District with innovative technologies and ideas, 
companies that have been working on cutting edge research and 
development in association with our Michigan Universities but which 
have not developed the necessary relationships with the Department to 
successfully sell the Department their products, services and ideas. 
This section will help link the Department to these smaller companies 
by identifying and communicating with non-traditional suppliers using 
tools and resources available within the federal government and in the 
private sector.
  Second, this Title reinforces a major priority for the Obama 
Administration by requiring a contractor to disclose whether it has 
outstanding tax debt when it is bidding on a new contract. Like many 
Members of Congress, I have been disillusioned by the scandals and 
abuse perpetrated by government contractors. Not only have some of 
these bad actors cost American and foreign lives, but they have also 
been a heavy burden to taxpayers. I support measures in this Title to 
ensure the government is contracting with responsible, high-quality 
suppliers. Moreover, this section gives the government better 
enforcement mechanisms by providing contracting officers new statutory 
authority to verify with the Treasury Department that the contractors 
under review are being forthcoming in their applications with respect 
to their tax status.
  Finally, Title IV creates a new, independent oversight authority over 
the Department's contracting system. It provides for an independent 
General Counsel within the Defense Contract Audit Agency to carry out 
reviews of contractor business systems. This provision will also help 
to save taxpayers money in the long run, ensure effective services are 
provided to the Department, and ultimately protect the warfighter and 
the American people.
  Mr. Chair, the IMPROVE Acquisition Act contains many important 
provisions deserving of the House's full consideration. I am pleased to 
support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same.

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