Homeland Security Committee Approves Rutherford Bill to Eliminate Wasteful Spending

Congressman Rutherford released the following statement today after his legislation, H.R. 1294 was considered at the meeting of the House Committee on Homeland Security.
Congressman Rutherford said, “Today, the House Committee on Homeland Security unanimously passed my bill H.R. 1294, the Reducing Department of Homeland Security Acquisition Cost Growth Act, which prevents wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars by holding DHS agencies more accountable in administering their major acquisitions programs and by giving Congress greater oversight of troubled programs. Passing this bill will stop the waste of resources and help Congress implement solutions to quickly address any setbacks or cost overruns. I thank the members of the Committee for their bipartisan support of this bill and I look forward to it advancing to the full House.”
The Reducing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acquisition Cost Growth Act would hold DHS agencies more accountable in administering their major acquisition programs and would give Congress greater oversight of troubled programs to prevent wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars by agencies like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the DHS Office of the Inspector General have reported on the longstanding challenge DHS faces in managing major acquisition programs. In 2015, the GAO found that 20 out of 22 major acquisition programs experienced cost growth, schedule slips, or both. Since 2005, DHS’s management of acquisitions has been on the GAO’s “High-Risk List,” showing these programs are highly susceptible to waste and mismanagement.
To view the April 2015 GAO report, click HERE. To view the most recent report, click HERE.