[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.

                          ____________________