James Oberstar: “today, the House considers H.R. 2722, the ``Integrated Deepwater Program Reform Act''. This legislation is the product…”

“today, the House considers H.R. 2722, the ``Integrated Deepwater Program Reform Act''. This legislation is the product of the lessons learned from a series of hearings delving into the Coast Guard's Deepwater program. I would like to thank Subcommittee Chairman Cummings for his diligence in thoroughly examining these problems and for developing a comprehensive bill to get this program back on course. The Committee has held three hearings in the 110th Congress on the Deepwater program--including one that finally adjourned at 11:29 p.m. Committee Members have heard the saga about problems with this program that include inadequate staffing, patrol boats that have been altered in such a way that they are not seaworthy, and construction standards that shorten the fatigue life of cutters below their contracted 30-year life. During these hearings, the Committee heard testimony from the Coast Guard, contractors, the Office of Inspector General (``OIG'') of the Department of Homeland Security, and the Government Accountability Office (``GAO''), and in addition received reports from the Defense Acquisition University (``DAU''), the GAO, and the OIG. Unfortunately, we learned from the testimony to the Committee that the Deepwater program is an example of a total abdication of governmental responsibility for overseeing its contractors, the quality of their work, and the timeline for completion. H.R. 2722 will correct this problem.”