Jeff Bingaman: “Our amendment makes the changes requested by Dr. Kaminski with one exception. We have preserved an annual report on the…”

“Our amendment makes the changes requested by Dr. Kaminski with one exception. We have preserved an annual report on the use of other transactions authority, but we have changed the entire tone of that reporting requirement. The reporting requirement in our amendment would essentially ask DOD to continue to update the GAO report on an annual basis so that we can judge how the services are doing in making use of this flexible authority to leverage the commercial sector to meet DOD's needs for dual-use technologies. Mr. President, I believe that it is important to give the Pentagon the authorities it needs to make the best use of its limited R&D resources. One of the great achievements of the past two Congresses and Secretary Perry's Pentagon is that we have really changed the Pentagon's acquisition system for the better. We have done this on a bipartisan basis, and I am glad to continue to work with the Chairman of the Acquisition and Technology Subcommittee, Senator Smith, to bring about needed reforms in that system. Our amendment is a modest step in helping the Pentagon to leverage the private sector's $100 billion annual R&D investment and to broaden the industrial base that supports the Pentagon to include truly commercial firms. I urge my colleagues to support it.”