Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4398, ``DHS Acquisition Documentation Integrity Act of 2016.'' I support this bill because it requires the DHS to produce cost estimates and schedules for all major acquisition programs and to maintain complete and accurate documentation of these projects. Specifically, for all programs expected to cost $300 million or more over its lifecycle, the department must maintain complete, accurate, timely and valid acquisition documentation. This bill will set a standard for all programs under DHS to follow and will save programs money and time. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed 22 major programs in DHS and out of 22 major programs: 1. GAO was unable to access six programs (including four in Customs and Border Protection). 2. The remaining 14 programs experienced schedule slips and cost growths. On average, these program milestones slipped more than three and a half year, and their life-cycle cost estimates increased by $9.7 billion, or 18 percent. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, I believe this act will maintain a standard across the board for programs to follow the Government Accountability Office's (GAO's) best practices. The Department of Homeland Security is constantly changing to fit the needs of our ever-changing world and there is a need of transparency between the DHS and GAO.…”