Border Security Technology Accountability Act of 2017

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 505) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to strengthen accountability for deployment of border security technology at the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material in the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 505, the Border Security Technology Accountability Act.

This bill seeks to improve the management of border security technology projects, safeguard taxpayer dollars, and increase accountability for some of the Department of Homeland Security's largest acquisition programs.

As a subcommittee chair with responsibility for the entire 2,000-mile Southern border, and as a Member whose district in southern Arizona represents 80 miles of the border, I have spent countless hours meeting with border residents, local law enforcement, ranchers, and men and women who tirelessly patrol the border every day.

I know firsthand that when our border technology projects lack the proper oversight and accountability, it is bad for taxpayers, those who defend our border, and those who live along our border.

That is why this bill is so important.

The Government Accountability Office has repeatedly included DHS acquisition management activities on its high-risk list, demonstrating that these programs are highly susceptible to waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement.

The Secure Border Initiative, also known as SBInet, is a prime example of acquisition mismanagement. Initial plans developed in 2005 and 2006 call for SBInet to extend across the entire U.S.-Mexico land border; however, SBInet deployment in Arizona was fraught with mismanagement, including a failure to adequately set requirements so the system would meet the needs of its users: our border patrol agents.

After spending nearly $1 billion of taxpayers' money with minimal results, DHS canceled SBInet in 2011, showing the high cost of failing to properly oversee new border acquisitions. With a renewed focus from the administration and this Congress on improving border security, this bill helps ensure Americans' dollars are used as efficiently and effectively as possible. It requires that border security technology programs at the Department have an acquisition program baseline: a critical document that lays out what a program will do, what it will cost, and when it will be completed.

The bill also requires programs to adhere to internal control standards and have a plan for testing and evaluation, as well as the use of independent verification and validation resources. Being proper stewards of our limited resources requires that programs are on time, on budget, and follow sound management procedures. We cannot afford to waste another minute or another dollar. We must put into place strong, effective technology programs to secure our border.

I urge all Members to join me in supporting these basic commonsense cost-control mechanisms so that we can responsibly secure our border.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 505 to have transparency, accountability, and efficiency of vital border security technology projects.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 505.

I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. McSally) for her work on this bill.

Over the past several years, the Government Accountability Office has examined various Department of Homeland Security programs and concluded that the Department has not followed standard best practices for acquisitions management. Though DHS has taken steps to improve its performance, there remains specific deficiencies in how it carries out major acquisitions.

When a DHS acquisition program falls short in terms of effectiveness or efficiency, this not only risks undermining that program, but also risks wasting the limited homeland security dollars that are available to us. We owe it to the American public not to repeat our mistakes.

This bill is intended to strengthen accountability for the acquisition and use of border security technology by the Department of Homeland Security. This bill would require all major acquisitions for border security technology to have written documentation of costs, schedule, and performance thresholds and demonstrate that the program is meeting these thresholds.

The bill also requires coordination and submission to Congress of a plan for testing and evaluation, as well as the use of independent verification and validation of resources for border security technology.

Addressing border security technology acquisitions is an important step toward bettering acquisitions and

management overall. We owe it to the American taxpayer to make sure we are managing these investments wisely and preventing wasteful spending.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 505 aims to focus and improve the way we invest and manage border security technology by providing a specific framework for accountability and oversight on behalf of the American taxpayer. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.