Dear Friend,

Recently, I wrote to you about the significant waste that is occurring in the current defense contracting process. Last year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) looked into 96 major defense projects and found cost overruns that totaled $296 billion. This waste drains important resources away from programs and missions that are critical to our national defense. That’s why I wanted to update you on some recent efforts to reform the process and ensure our tax dollars are used effectively to provide our war fighters with the most advanced equipment and weapons available.

This week, the House approved the Weapons Acquisition System reform Through Enhancing Technical Knowledge and Oversight (WASTE TKO) Act. The legislation provides strict oversight and accountability measures in the early development stage of major weapons acquisitions. Specifically, it requires the Department of Defense (DoD) to track the cost growth and schedule changes that happen before Milestone B, the point in the process when systems development starts.  This is critical because 75% of costs are locked in as weapons systems emerge from the development stage.      

The bill also requires the Secretary of Defense to designate an official to serve as DoD’s expert on assessing our acquisition programs. Often, there is conflicting information on the effectiveness of these programs; this individual will provide DoD and Congress with unbiased evaluations of how successful or unsuccessful our acquisitions programs are.

While this bill is an important first step, there is more work to be done to eliminate waste in Washington. The bipartisan Panel on Defense Acquisition Reform, of which I am a member, will continue to examine the acquisition process to identify the root causes of waste in the system and to make recommendations to Congress on additional improvements going forward.

In these challenging times, when we have limited resources to accomplish our national goals, it’s critical that we make every dollar count. I hope these efforts will reduce government waste and ensure the United States remains the strongest, most advanced military force in the world.

Sincerely,

Brad Ellsworth