House panel to examine Pentagon procurement

[unhappycamper]

House panel to examine Pentagon procurement
By William Matthews - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 6, 2009 17:12:46 EST

Not to be outdone by the U.S. Senate and the White House, the House Armed Services Committee has decided to create a special panel to tackle problem-plagued Pentagon procurement practices.

An announcement Friday of the Panel on Defense Acquisition Reform came three days after the Senate Armed Services Committee began hearings on acquisition reform legislation, and two days after President Barack Obama declared that “the days of giving defense contractors a blank check are over.”

Among other federal procurement reforms, Obama targeted military no-bid and cost-plus contracts.

The House panel, headed by Rep. Robert Andrews, D-N.J., is intended to add the House committee’s “voice to the conversation about reforming the Pentagon’s acquisition system,” said Rep. John McHugh, R-N.Y., the senior Republican on the House committee.

The panel has a six-month term that may be extended by six months, the Armed Services Committee said. Its job will be to evaluate the U.S. military’s current purchasing practices and “root causes for system failures.”


Article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/03/military_procurement_brief_030609/%2e