JUN 9, 2014

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation to reform the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) acquisition management.

H.R. 4228, the DHS Acquisition Accountability and Efficiency Act was introduced by Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Duncan (R-SC), as well as Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency Ranking Member Ron Barber (D-AZ) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency Vice Chairman Steve Daines (R-MT). The bill requires greater oversight of the Department’s purchasing process while ensuring needed flexibility and providing clarity for American businesses.

Since 2005, DHS Acquisition Management activities have been on the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) “High-Risk List” for programs that are highly susceptible to fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement. In April, GAO noted continued weaknesses in DHS’s acquisition planning process and portfolio management. In 2013, the DHS Inspector General found the Department mismanaged a $3 billion DHS-wide contract to modernize its radio systems, and in 2012, GAO reported that 21 of 68 IT contracts totaling $1 billion were not meeting cost and schedule obligations.

H.R. 4228 passed the House by voice vote.

Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Duncan said: “Today the House took an important step to restore much needed accountability to DHS. For years, DHS's purchases of major homeland security systems have been late, cost more, and done less than promised. This bill will save taxpayer dollars by forcing DHS to improve its management. I want to thank the House Leadership for bringing my legislation up for a vote, and urge the Senate to move forward on this so we can quickly implement these much needed reforms.”

Chairman Michael McCaul said: “I am pleased the House passed this bipartisan bill to reform DHS’s purchasing process, which has been on GAO’s “High-Risk List” for programs vulnerable to waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement for nearly a decade. This bill safeguards taxpayer dollars, increases accountability for DHS’s big-ticket acquisition purchases, and takes important steps to improve communication with industry. There are still many more opportunities for cost savings at DHS and through continued oversight, investigations and legislation my Committee will find them and present solutions. Taxpayers deserve no less.”

The full text of H.R. 4228 is available HERE.

031314-HR4228.pdf