[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 78 (Thursday, May 22, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL 
                               YEAR 2015

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                               speech of

                         HON. CAROL SHEA-PORTER

                            of new hampshire

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 21, 2014

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4435) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2015 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense and for military 
     construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for 
     such fiscal year, and for other purposes:

  Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Chair, due to sequester cuts, the Department of 
Defense (DoD) needs to increase efficiency and lower costs wherever it 
can, but this costly amendment prevents DoD from hiring the most cost-
efficient workforce. It also would prevent DoD from ever correcting, 
through insourcing, any contract that costs too much or is poorly 
performed, period--regardless of the increased costs to taxpayers.
  According to the Government Accountability Office, DoD reports 
savings of almost $1 trillion through insourcing in FY10 alone. In 
2013, the DoD Comptroller acknowledged in a Senate hearing that 
civilian employees are significantly cheaper than contractors, 
particularly for the performance of long-term functions. So why would 
anyone want to make it impossible for DoD to save money by correcting 
overly costly or poorly-performed contracts, especially in a time of 
shrinking defense budgets? DoD can't afford this amendment, and neither 
can American taxpayers. Please join me in opposing this costly and 
wasteful amendment.

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