[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 118 (Monday, July 22, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H4715-H4716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BILLION DOLLAR BOONDOGGLE ACT OF 2023
Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(S. 1258) to require the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget to submit to Congress an annual report on projects that are over
budget and behind schedule, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 1258
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Billion Dollar Boondoggle
Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT.
(a) Definitions.--In this section--
(1) the term ``covered agency'' means--
(A) an Executive agency, as defined in section 105 of title
5, United States Code; and
(B) an independent regulatory agency, as defined in section
3502 of title 44, United States Code;
(2) the term ``covered project'' means a project funded by
a covered agency--
(A) that is more than 5 years behind schedule, as measured
against the original expected date for completion; or
(B) for which the amount spent on the project is not less
than $1,000,000,000 more than the original cost estimate for
the project; and
(3) the term ``project'' means a major acquisition, a major
defense acquisition program (as defined in section 4201 of
title 10, United States Code), a procurement, a construction
project, a remediation or clean-up effort, or any other time-
limited endeavor, that is not funded through direct spending
(as defined in section 250(c) of the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900(c))).
(b) Requirement.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget shall issue guidance requiring covered
agencies to include, on an annual basis in a report described
in paragraph (2) of section 3516(a) of title 31, United
States Code, or a consolidated report described in paragraph
(1) of such section, information relating to each covered
project of the covered agency, which shall include--
(1) a brief description of the covered project, including--
(A) the purpose of the covered project;
(B) each location in which the covered project is carried
out;
(C) the contract or award number of the covered project,
where applicable;
(D) the year in which the covered project was initiated;
(E) the Federal share of the total cost of the covered
project; and
(F) each primary contractor, subcontractor, grant
recipient, and subgrantee recipient of the covered project;
(2) an explanation of any change to the original scope of
the covered project, including by the addition or narrowing
of the initial requirements of the covered project;
(3) the original expected date for completion of the
covered project;
(4) the current expected date for completion of the covered
project;
(5) the original cost estimate for the covered project, as
adjusted to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for
All Urban Consumers, as published by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics;
(6) the current cost estimate for the covered project, as
adjusted to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for
All Urban Consumers, as published by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics;
(7) an explanation for a delay in completion or an increase
in the original cost estimate for the covered project,
including, where applicable, any impact of insufficient or
delayed appropriations; and
(8) the amount of and rationale for any award, incentive
fee, or other type of bonus, if any, awarded for the covered
project.
(c) Form.--If any information required under subsection (b)
is classified, such information may be submitted in the form
of a classified annex consistent with the protection of
sources and methods.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
South Carolina (Ms. Mace) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from South Carolina.
General Leave
Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from South Carolina?
There was no objection.
Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, Congress must ensure that every taxpayer dollar is spent
efficiently. Every year, the Government Accountability Office reports
government projects that are above cost projections or behind schedule,
from Federal IT programs to projects at the National Nuclear Security
Administration. However, there are likely additional government
projects that fly under the radar, falling years behind schedule or
costing billions of dollars over budget.
The Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act would address this by informing
policymakers of government-funded projects that are behind schedule or
above cost projections. Under the bill, agencies must report to
Congress on projects that are more than 5 years behind schedule or have
expenditures that are at least $1 billion more than the original cost
estimate for the project. Agencies must provide an explanation if there
is a delay in completion or an increase in costs for the project.
Congress has a duty to oversee the Federal Government for
inefficiency and waste. This bill informs policymakers and allows
Congress to address failing government projects before further taxpayer
dollars are wasted or misused.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Joni Ernst for her leadership on this
issue, and I thank Representative Miller-Meeks for introducing the
House companion bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the legislation would require additional reporting on
certain Federal projects that are over budget by $1 billion or 5 years
behind schedule. Federal agencies would be required to include this
information in their annual performance and accountability reports made
to Congress and the President.
Congress, of course, has a duty to make sure that taxpayer dollars
are being well and efficiently spent in the ways that we appropriate
them. Additional oversight of projects that are vastly over budget or
behind schedule makes good sense, and I support this bill.
I appreciate the fact that this version of the bill takes into
consideration some technical comments that were provided to us by OMB.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa
(Mrs. Miller-Meeks).
Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from South
Carolina (Ms. Mace) for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Billion Dollar
Boondoggle Act, bipartisan legislation that would require the public
disclosure of every taxpayer-funded project that is $1 billion or more
over budget or 5 years or more behind schedule.
This disclosure would include an explanation for the delays and added
costs as well as the identification of the contractors.
In Congress, we are entrusted to be stewards of taxpayer dollars. In
an example of protracted government-funded projects, the Department of
Veterans Affairs had fumbled replacing its decades-old electronic
health records system. An assessment found that the 2018 initial cost
projection of $10 billion over 10 years soon ballooned to $50.8 billion
over 28 years.
Government-funded projects that are excessively costly and delayed
must be held to account. The bill will increase transparency over these
projects to ensure we aren't wasting billions of hard-earned taxpayer
dollars.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Iowa Senator Joni Ernst for championing this act
in the Senate. I urge my colleagues to support and get the Billion
Dollar Boondoggle Act to the President's desk.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to support the legislation,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
[[Page H4716]]
Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support
this commonsense bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from South Carolina (Ms. Mace) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, S. 1258, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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