I just want to suggest, I have sat through enough hearings now in 2½ years of how do you reform government.

This has some real potential for some real dollar savings.

So again, I am not trying to beat up on the witnesses here. I am just trying to point out the futility--and we are seeing it.

This is not really the sexiest subject for a hearing.

Well, I will tell you one thing we are doing, sequester. That is a kind of incentive, is it not?

I think you need to be very careful when you have a very limited supplier base.

Do people in the agencies believe sequester is going to stay?

So really, the incentive in government is failure actually pays off in government, does it not?

I want to make sure that I am achieving the priorities of my boss, and the priority frequently is getting enough budget money flowing to a particular area.

You are really actually describing the total value proposition, which is not always about cost, but it is really the total value of having that supplier there.

I think when it comes to protecting small businesses, from my standpoint, the best way of doing that is, as you were indicating, Ms. Chaplain, this is really about data, about providing information, and more so involved purchasing.

Let me just suggest, the most important ingredient is then having a dollar figure that you must save.

Madam Chair, I will try to address some of the concerns of the gentlelady from Ohio. I think everyone who supports this amendment is willing to work with the administration if the administration wants to work with us to start to dredge our…

Madam Chair, I move to strike the last word. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Wisconsin is recognized for 5 minutes.

Reclaiming my time, point well made by the gentlelady from Ohio. Just to make sure we're clear, this amendment is one that prohibits additional or expansion of the definition of use for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, so we can't use it…

The largest creators of jobs in America are small businesses.

I think the major terrorist cities are at or close to that level--New York City, Los Angeles--but others, I think, have to raise their game, have to take this seriously.

So about 92.5 percent is really State and local government funding, which underscores your point, Dr. Kellermann, that 7.5 percent is Federal Government spending.