Washington, D.C.—Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee today praised House passage of H.R. 5013, the IMPROVE Acquisition Act, as a strong step toward reforming the Department of Defense’s procurement process and saving U.S. taxpayer dollars. The legislation, which passed 417-3, was the result of a year-long study by the committee’s Defense Acquisition Reform Panel and builds upon the reforms enacted last year to the Department of Defense’s weapons systems procurement process.
Ranking Member Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.): “The reforms passed by the House today build on those implemented by last year’s weapons acquisition reform legislation and address the remaining 80 percent of defense acquisition. While we may not be able to guarantee a precise level of savings associated with this bill, it’s the role of Congress to pursue every potential avenue for savings. I personally believe we should be spending more on national security, but ultimately we have a responsibility to ensure that we spend taxpayer dollars as wisely as possible. Anything we can do to save money with the Department of Defense and invest that savings back into our top national security priorities should be viewed as an imperative—and this bill strives to achieve that goal.
“I would like to thank Chairman Ike Skelton, Congressman Rob Andrews, Congressman Mike Conaway, and all the members of the Defense Acquisition Reform Panel for their hard work in moving this bill through the House.”
Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Tex.): “This legislation represents a sustained bipartisan effort to improve the defense acquisition process, and we project that the Pentagon could save billions of dollars and expedite the process of getting the necessary equipment to our men and women in uniform. I want to thank my respected colleagues, Chairman Skelton, Ranking Member McKeon and Chairman Andrews for their leadership and dedication to this bill and its overarching efforts of facilitating a substantial impact on reducing waste, fraud and abuse.
“Not only does this bill address the Defense Acquisition System and Workforce, but, if properly implemented, it will play a critical role in assisting the Department of Defense’s improvements upon its financial management practices. We must strengthen the confidence of the American taxpayer that tax dollars are being accounted for and spent wisely in the defense of this great nation.”
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.): "This is a good bipartisan bill that was made even better with the approval of my amendment to add energy efficiency as a key metric in future contracts by the Defense Department. Congress is adding its support to the Defense Department's leading role in our government and our country to increase energy efficiency. This metric sends an important, strong signal to defense contractors that their bids will be more competitive if their products and services will use less energy. This and other reforms in the bill will improve our national security and provide more value to taxpayers for our defense dollars."
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.): “I join America’s hardworking taxpayers in thanking Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member McKeon for their work pursuing areas for improved transparency and savings in the Department of Defense. Today’s passage of the IMPROVE Act signals Congress’ intent to strengthen America’s national security in the long-term. This bill is a step down that path.”
Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio): “We must ensure the Department of Defense is planning ahead and providing the necessary resources to train the next generation of acquisition professionals. My amendment, which was unanimously approved by the House Armed Services Committee in last week’s markup of the legislation, will help ensure we build on current educational centers of excellence, support effective training programs and make them available to more of our service members so we can enhance the training of America’s fighting force, today and in the future.”
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.): “This critical acquisition reform legislation passed by the House today with my support is another step in the right direction towards improving efficiencies and cost-savings in the Pentagon. In today’s fiscal environment, I believe it is imperative that we work to ensure we are spending American taxpayer dollars in the most judicious manner possible. I commend my colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee Defense Acquisition Reform Panel for their tremendous work.”
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.): “The IMPROVE Acquisition Act will go a long way toward improving accountability and transparency within the acquisition process, providing a bipartisan framework for reform that serves to benefit both American taxpayers and warfighters. Achieving greater cost savings while producing better products and services will strengthen our national defense and reassure working Americans that their tax dollars are being spent wisely.”
Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.): “I applaud the bipartisan leadership of Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member McKeon on this critical issue. I am glad many of my acquisition reform priorities are included in the IMPROVE Act. No doubt, there is a great need for enhanced accountability within the defense acquisition system and maintaining our nation’s defense industrial base is paramount. The IMPROVE Act will cut down on waste, fraud, and abuse, potentially saving billions of tax dollars. It will also get the right equipment to our warfighters sooner.”
Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.): “This bill helps our military get the most bang for our buck. By cutting waste, we can save taxpayer dollars and use the money in our Defense budget to invest in programs that will enhance American security.”
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