On the recordApril 28, 2010
Mr. Chairman, there can be no dispute that our Nation's warfighters deserve the most state-of-the-art equipment on the battlefield. They risk their lives in defense of our Nation. In turn, we must protect them with the most innovative technologies available. However, far too often the Department of Defense's acquisition system has been compromised by waste, abuse, and even fraud. I applaud the DOD acquisition panel for working on this problem. Last week, in the House Armed Services Committee, we unanimously passed H.R. 5013, the IMPROVE Acquisition Act, to put the panel's recommendations into action. The IMPROVE Acquisition Act will bring strategic financial management to the Department's acquisition system and save taxpayers an estimated $135 billion over the next 5 years. {time} 1230 This bill will ensure that our servicemembers have the most advanced resources while making the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Our men and women in uniform deserve no less, and I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
