WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, the House of Representatives voted 417 to 3 to pass the IMPROVE Acquisition Act (H.R. 5013), which would overhaul defense acquisition spending to clean up waste fraud and abuse—potentially saving $135 billion over five years and expediting the process to get the proper equipment to our troops on the battlefield.

The legislation, introduced by Congressman Rob Andrews (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Panel on Defense Acquisition Reform, cleans up the defense acquisition system through four key reforms:

·          Building a better accountability system to make sure that we get the most value for every dollar spent on defense acquisition;

·          Strengthening the acquisition workforce to give both military and civilian personnel better training, better tools, and more opportunities to improve their performance and produce better outcomes;

·          Improving DOD’s financial management system to make it auditable so that American taxpayers know where their money is going; and

·          Expanding the industrial base to enhance competition and gain access to more technology.

These reforms come from recommendations outlined in the final report of the Panel on Defense Acquisition Reform, which was created in March 2009 by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) and then-Ranking Member John McHugh to perform a comprehensive review of the defense acquisition system.

 “For too many years, waste in DOD’s acquisition spending has placed a heavy burden on both our military and the American taxpayer,” said Chairman Skelton. “The commonsense reforms approved today will allow our troops to get the tools they need as soon as possible, while also saving American taxpayers billions of dollars.”

“Today is a great day for both our troops and the American Taxpayer,” said Congressman Andrews. “The IMPROVE Acquisition Act makes sure the brave men and women who protect our country get the tools they need to fight more efficiently while cutting down on wasteful spending and saving taxpayers $135 billion over five years.”

The bipartisan Panel, consisting of Congressman Andrews, Congressman Mike Conaway (R-Texas), Congressman Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), Congressman Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.), Congressman Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), and Congressman Mike Coffman (R-Colo.), held fourteen hearings and two briefings covering a broad range of issues in defense acquisition reform.

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