{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/citing-nearly-400-million-in-duplicative-defense-contracts-mccaskill-urges-department-of-defense-cut-down-on-waste", "Citing Nearly $400 Million in Duplicative Defense Contracts, McCaskill Urges Department of Defense Cut Down on Waste", "2017-12-08", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Citing Nearly $400 Million in Duplicative Defense Contracts, McCaskill Urges Department of Defense Cut Down on Waste \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t After a top watchdog report found millions spent on 2,000 contracts for hundreds of contractors in a year on same helicopter part, Senator questions Pentagon leadership;  \u2018This is the kind of stuff that just makes you want to tear your hair out as somebody who\u2019s a former auditor\u2019 \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 8, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON\u00a0\u2013 Continuing her efforts to cut down on waste and inefficiency in government contracting, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, today raised concerns to top Pentagon leadership about nearly $400 million in duplicative defense contracts.\r\n\u201cThey identify in [the Pentagon Inspector General\u2019s report on contracting challenges], that for the H-60 helicopter used by the services and [Southern Command], that [the Department of Defense] have purchased 2.9 million spare parts for the H-60,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cUsing 2,000 separate contracts, awarded to 590 different contractors over a 12 month period, for almost $400 million dollars. And often these parts were purchased for different prices\u2014the same part. This is the kind of stuff that just makes you want to tear your hair out as somebody who\u2019s a former auditor. What roadblocks can you identify, Secretary Lord, that would keep you from fixing something ridiculous like that?\u201d\r\nMcCaskill continued: \u201cI just think when something comes on line you should begin the process of identifying a handful of contractors because you want the consistency and if somebody falls off you\u2019ve got others, and to get the best deal and leverage the best deal for that helicopter. I mean I can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve said in this committee and pointed out inefficiencies between the services for things they\u2019re all using.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill also discussed Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson\u2019s visit to Whiteman Air Force Base at her invitation, and the personnel issues involved in hiring trainers for the joint strike fighter, and other slowdowns in hiring civilian personnel.\r\nSince her time as Missouri State Auditor, McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has been a leading voice in Missouri and Washington for cutting wasteful government spending. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has unanimously approved two of her bills with Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana to\u00a0eliminate wasteful spending\u00a0at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. McCaskill has also\u00a0expanded\u00a0whistleblower protections\u00a0to federal contractors, grantees, subgrantees, and others who the federal government directly or indirectly hires through bipartisan bills that have been signed into law. During her first term in the Senate, McCaskill\u00a0waged a successful six-year effort\u00a0to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse in wartime contracting.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/defense\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight to protect our national security.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 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.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/citing-nearly-400-million-in-duplicative-defense-contracts-mccaskill-urges-department-of-defense-cut-down-on-waste"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8680260982364416, "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"}