Senate Proceeding on May 7th, 2009 :: 2:17:45 to 2:37:45
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2:17:15 to 2:17:45( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: John McCain

2:17:35 to 2:17:45( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: put in, hours of hearings, and i thank the chairman for his leadership. and the kind of bi -- nonpartisanship that these important issues require for the

2:17:46 to 2:18:06( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: good of the country. mr. president, i do not object. mr. levin: mr. president? the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. levin: if i could be recognized just for 30 seconds. the presiding officer: the senator from michigan. mr. levin: let me join in thanking senator mccain of our staffs. the work that's gone into this bill both staffs -- we'llet into that after passage of the bill and put a statement in the

2:17:50 to 2:18:20( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Carl Levin

2:18:07 to 2:18:24( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: record and have, perhaps, further thoughts on this. but senator mccain's role in this has been absolutely invaluable and essential and we've worked together very closely on this, as he puts it, well and a nonpartisan way and i just want to thank him and his

2:18:25 to 2:18:47( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: staff as well mr. sessions: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. sessions: i want to thank also senators levin and mccain for their work on this. we do need to deal with wasteful spending. both of these senators understand it. senator mccain i know has always been willing to challenge

2:18:25 to 2:22:25( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Jeff Sessions

2:18:48 to 2:19:09( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: programs that he thinks are not justified for the war fighter. but i would like to note a few things before we go to passage and urge support of it. i'm pleased, first, i would note, that the legitimate concerns recognized by the department of defense about thousand would have been listened to and i

2:19:10 to 2:19:31( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: accommodated. i'd like to highlight a few points identified by a report last month by the government accountability office, an independent g.a.o., "defense acquisition: assessments of selected weapons program." since 2003, the number of major

2:19:32 to 2:19:54( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: defense acquisitions programs has grown fr 77 to 96. all 96 programs were assessed by g.a.o. and they found investment in these programs had grown $1.2 trillion to $1.6 trillion. research and development costs

2:19:55 to 2:20:16( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: are now 42% higher than originally expected. the c $296 billion. i found that to be number. i almost have to believe that somehow they calculated it in an excessive way.

2:20:17 to 2:20:40( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: sometimes numbers can look misleading. but if it's a third of that, we've got a major problem. but they concluded the cost growth on these programs was almost $300 billion. and average delay in delivering the initial capabil increased to 22 months, so we've got an excessive delay in producing our capabilities.

2:20:41 to 2:21:03( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: g.a.o. found that only 28% of the programs were exp delivered on time and on schedule to combat cost growth, they found that quantities -- that is, the number of the weapons systems and vehicles and other things that have been -- were to

2:21:04 to 2:21:24( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: be produced had to be reduced by 25% or more for 15 of these programs in 2000 -- in the 2008 portfolio. and ten of the largest acquisition programs, which account for half the overall acquisition dollars in the portfolio, have seen quantities

2:21:25 to 2:21:46( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: reduced by almost well, when you price -- your price per item goes up significantly compensating action is just to reduce the numbers but the net reality is the got as much as we expected to get out of the so clearly these statistics are disturbing and underscore the

2:21:47 to 2:22:09( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: need for this important legislation and reform. in summary, our war fighters are receiving less capability at a higher cost than was originally agreed upon. so i believe this bill improve the acquisition process by ensuring the department and industry are more thoughtful when estimating the production

2:22:10 to 2:22:26( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: costs at the beginning total life cycle costs of these programs. while i' mindful acquisition reforms can continue to be improved, i encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation. it's clearly a step in the right

2:22:27 to 2:22:48( Edit History Discussion )

direction and i salute our chairman and senator levin and mccain, for thank you, i uld yield the floor. the presiding officer: under the amendment as amended i to and the clerk will read the bill for the third

2:22:49 to 2:23:09( Edit History Discussion )

the clerk: calendar number 45, s. organization and procedures of the department of defense f the acquisition of major weapons systems and for other purposes. mr. levin: i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be.

2:23:10 to 2:23:24( Edit History Discussion )

the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will cl

2:24:23 to 2:24:28( Edit History Discussion )

vote: