{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=234389C5-2A30-443D-91A7-5A8E219BE137", "OPENING STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN AT HEARING ON DOD ACQUISITION REFORM", "2017-12-07", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "AZ", "John McCain", "M000303", "www.mccain.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u00ad\u2013 U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement today at a hearing on Department of Defense acquisition reform:\r\n\u201cThe Senate Armed Services Committee meets today to receive testimony on the Department of Defense acquisition reform efforts. We welcome our witnesses:\r\n \r\n\u201cEllen Lord, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics;\r\n\u201cMark Esper, Secretary of the Army;\r\n\u201cHeather Wilson, Secretary of the Air Force; and\r\n\u201cJames Geurts, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition.\r\n \r\n\u201cAcquisition reform is one of the most important\u2014and frustrating\u2014topics this Committee addresses. For years, we have been warned that America is losing its technological advantage. I hope you all have seen the work by RAND on this topic. This is why the Department of Defense needs acquisition reform\u2014not just for efficiency or to save money. Simply put, we will not be able to address the threats facing this nation with the system of organized irresponsibility that the defense acquisition enterprise has become.\r\n\u201cWe are still dealing with a trillion dollar F-35 program that continues to operate in dysfunction\u2026the Air Force still subsidizes ULA for space launch with cost plus fixed fee contracts\u2026the Army has sunk nearly $6.5 billion into WIN-T, a network that doesn\u2019t work\u2026and the Navy\u2019s LCS program is delayed, the costs are now $6 billion and rising, and many of the key capabilities remain unproven.\r\n\u201cThat is why this Committee enacted the most sweeping acquisition reforms in a generation through the last two National Defense Authorization Acts. And yet, despite that legislation and in the face of our eroding military advantage, the Department has been unable\u2014or unwilling\u2014to change.\r\n\u201cWhile the previous administration offered some rhetoric about reform, this Committee was disappointed that we saw no meaningful action. Though I remain deeply concerned about the state of our acquisition system, I am encouraged by the early signs from your team. It appears that you are beginning to make progress.\r\n\u201cLet me remind you of our expectations:\u00a0\r\n \r\n\u201cFirst, the Office of the Secretary of Defense needs to let the Services manage their programs. Congress has returned significant authority to the Services, but we will be watching closely to make sure that you do business differently and use that authority wisely.\r\n \r\n \r\n\u201cSecond, while we have empowered the Services, that doesn\u2019t mean you can go and do whatever you like. The Services must let OSD set strategy and policy and do real oversight. That means being transparent\u2014providing data to, and following the guidance set by, OSD. Again, we will be watching. This Committee takes its own oversight role seriously, and we will rely on you to keep us informed so that we can do our job.\r\n \r\n \r\n\u201cThird, the experiment and prototype phases must move faster. Time is of the essence. The work of groups like DIUx, the Strategic Capabilities Office, and the Rapid Capabilities Offices should become standard practice, not work-arounds to the regular system. And we need these innovations for Major Defense Acquisition Programs, not just Science and Technology efforts.\r\n \r\n \r\n\u201cFourth, you need to be willing to take more risk and be willing to fail when you try new things. We recognize that Congress can make that difficult. Keep us informed of your plans so that we can work together and so that we\u2019re not surprised when things don\u2019t go exactly as planned. We would rather have a small failure that teaches us something early in the acquisition process than deal with a multi-billion dollar program that becomes \u2018too big to fail.\u2019\r\n \r\n \r\n\u201cFifth, invest in the acquisition workforce and empower them to succeed. Too often we hear that acquisition personnel are unfamiliar with new authorities or are nervous about using them.\r\n \r\n \r\n\u201cAnd finally, reform your organizations and business practices to simplify and move faster. The major changes we have instituted through legislation are intended to give you the opportunity to make more detailed changes in your organizations. This is an opportunity to update your organizational structures and internal processes accordingly.\u00a0\r\n \r\n\u201cThe Congress has provided you with all the tools you require. We expect you, as part of a new administration, to use these tools\u2014unlike your predecessors. As you do so, you will have a willing partner in this Committee. If you choose not to take advantage of this opportunity, we will continue to push reform through legislation.\u00a0\r\n\u201cUltimately, reform is about leadership, which is why we\u2019ve asked you as the senior-most leaders of your organizations to be here. I want to hear how you will lead your organizations and work together to create the structure and culture required to deliver our service members the technological advantages they expect and deserve.\u201d\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=234389C5-2A30-443D-91A7-5A8E219BE137"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6590380799025297, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}