REORGANIZED HOUSE DEFENSE PANEL MAY REVAMP DOD ACQUISITION RULES
Further changes in Dept. of Defense (DoD) technology procurement policy may be required to hasten process by which industry can create and sell products to Pentagon agencies, new chairman of House Armed Services Committee said Thurs. Chmn. Hunter (R-Cal.), who succeeded retired Rep. Stump (R- Ariz.), said one of his top goals in 108th Congress was to support Pentagon’s modernization strategy, which he said could be accomplished only if U.S. forces had “the ability to field technology quickly.”
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Legislative remedy may be required to correct slow “speed of bureaucracy” tasked with Defense procurement, he said in news conference at Rayburn Bldg.: “We've got to get the best technology possible, and get in into the hands of the men and women who use that technology” as soon as possible. “We may have to change some laws to do that.” Hunter didn’t lay out time frame or specific plans to implement acquisition policy changes. However, he emphasized that building efficiency into DoD’s technology purchase system would have to include incentives to speed up R&D as well as procurement of products resulting from it.
Under Duncan’s subcommittee reorganization plan, communications and information technology (IT) issues relevant to DoD will be addressed in relationship to “critical military missions instead of traditional budget categories.” He eliminated Procurement Subcommittee, which had been led by Rep. Weldon (R-Pa.), and created 6 standing subcommittees, each with oversight of various DoD activities. He said he would continue to rely on procurement policy experience of Weldon, who now serves as committee vice chairman and chairman of new Tactical Air & Land Forces Subcommittee.
Rep. Saxton (R-N.J.) was named chairman of new Terrorism, Unconventional Threats & Capabilities Subcommittee, which is responsible for Defense-wide communications and IT policy and programs. That responsibility includes oversight of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and intelligence agency support. Rep. Everett (R-Ala.) became chairman of new Strategic Forces Subcommittee, whose responsibility includes oversight of space programs.
Hunter said he met several times, as recently as Thurs., with Defense Secy. Donald Rumsfeld and Undersecy. for Defense Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Pete Aldridge. Among topics discussed was creation of blue-ribbon panel to be responsible for reviewing proposals from companies that offered alternatives to products or services provided by incumbent contractors. It opens possibility of having incumbent contractors “removed by challengers” who provide Defense items cheaper and more beneficial to warfighters, Hunter said. Incumbents faced with this “new dimension of competition” will then have pressure to offer better prices and products to govt., he said.