WASHINGTON POST Editorial page

Will the defense cuts do what Robert Gates says they will?
Saturday, August 14, 2010; A12
Regarding the Aug. 10 front-page article "Thousands of defense jobs to be eliminated":
 

While I applaud Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates's goal of controlling defense spending, his proposal to cut defense contracting by 10 percent a year for three years raises many questions. Three top the list.
 

-- Will the cuts actually save money? Arbitrary across-the-board cuts generally don't produce the desired result and are not a strategic means of achieving savings. Mr. Gates admitted that previous efforts to reduce reliance on contractors did not achieve the savings the Pentagon had hoped for.
 

-- Who will be hurt by the arbitrary cuts? Smaller contractors -- companies owned by minorities, women and disabled veterans -- are the low-hanging fruit and probably will bear the brunt. Large contractors have the resources to weather such cuts, but for small employers, those struggling most in this tepid recovery, the loss of a contract could push them out of business.
 

-- What are the ramifications? Besides the obvious impact on the economy and workforce in Northern Virginia and other regions with a high concentration of federal contractors, there are serious concerns about whether these arbitrary reductions will hurt the Pentagon's national security interests. There are no promises that the expertise lost when contracts are cut will automatically flow into the federal workforce.
We need answers on the rationale and reasoning behind this decision. That's why the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on management, organization and procurement, at my request, will hold hearings on the matter when Congress returns from its district work period.

Gerald E. Connolly, Washington
The writer, a Democrat, represents the 11th District of Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/13/AR2010081305913.html

Congressman Gerry Connolly said today that Congress will hold hearings to determine the rationale behind Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ proposal to cut defense contracting by 10 percent per year for three years.

Connolly said a subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has agreed to his request “to hold early and urgent hearings to provide Congress with the reasoning used by Defense Secretary Gates to justify this decision and its potential effects.”  Connolly is a member of the House committee which has jurisdiction over the federal workforce and contracting and is the chief investigative committee of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Connolly said the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement will hold the hearing on the matter.  In an August 11 letter to Subcommittee Chairwoman Diane Watson asking for the hearing, Connolly said, “These latest proposals no doubt will have significant ramifications on federal management, staffing and procurement, and they deserve tougher scrutiny before we sink additional time and resources into such an effort without having a better idea of whether it will in fact produce the desired results.”

Connolly praised Chairman Watson and committee staff for their quick response to his request.

Calling Gates’ proposal “arbitrary and capricious,” Connolly noted, “Arbitrary cuts never produce the desired results and are frequently proven to be counterproductive.  While I applaud the Secretary for looking for internal savings in the Pentagon, I have questions about the justification for his plan.”

Connolly said he was concerned about the impact on the private sector and the tens of thousands employed by those businesses in Northern Virginia.  “No rationale was given and no analysis was provided to justify such cuts.  One trembles at the thought of the disruptions, dislocations, cost overruns, and termination costs associated with such a plan.  Generally, when someone says they are going to cut something across the board, it means they have given up on taking a paring knife to strategically look at and cut specific programs that may not be cost effective or working as planned.”

Connolly questioned whether Gates’ plan would result in any savings and suggested that it actually could result in increased costs and growth in the federal government.  “The Secretary said recently that he is disappointed with the lack of savings resulting from the in-sourcing that already has occurred over the last year.”

Connolly added that “an across-the-board cut in contracting is kind of an easy way to do something and hope for the best.  I don’t think that is a good way to manage the Pentagon or to manage savings in the federal budget.  Congress has an obligation in its oversight role to delve more deeply into this proposal and review the thinking and analysis behind it.”

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TEXT OF REP. CONNOLLY LETTER TO CHAIRWOMAN WATSON:

August 11, 2009

The Honorable Diane E. Watson, Chairwoman
Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairwoman Watson,

I respectfully request you schedule a hearing before the Subcommittee to investigate the rationale behind Defense Secretary Robert Gate’s recent cost-savings proposals, particularly his call to arbitrarily reduce defense contracting by 10 percent per year for three years.

While I commend the Secretary’s goal of better controlling defense costs, I question the justification for such actions. These latest proposals no doubt will have significant ramifications on federal management, staffing and procurement, and they deserve tougher scrutiny before we sink additional time and resources into such an effort without having a better idea of whether it will in fact produce the desired results.

Thank you for your continued leadership to investigate the myriad of structural challenges facing federal agencies. I look forward to working with you to push for greater efficiency and accountability on behalf of American taxpayers.

Sincerely,

Gerald E. Connolly
Member of Congress
11th District, Virginia