Washington D.C.House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith made the following opening statement at today’s hearing on operational contracting support:

“I wish to thank our witnesses for appearing today.  The American way of conducting military operations has always relied upon support derived from contracted goods and services.  This reliance has been greatly magnified in scope, scale, complexity, duration, and tempo by recent contingency operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

“In a constantly evolving security environment, it is imperative that the Department of Defense maintain the operational flexibility to respond to threats and to routinely perform a wide variety of critical missions.  Operational contract support is vital to enabling this needed flexibility.  Therefore, operational contract support is of strategic importance to national security.  We cannot successfully execute wartime, humanitarian, or disaster relief operations without it.

Proficient contractual performance, especially in the context of a contingency operation, depends upon effective command and control, institutional support, careful plans and preparation, sufficient resourcing, qualified contracting personnel with specialized skill sets, reliable data, and thorough oversight.  This committee considers these factors, and the lessons learned from recent contingency operations, to be items of special interest because they are fundamental to effective operational contract support now and in the future.  The Department has been less than proficient in these areas over the past decade, as evidenced by tragic contractor deaths and the squandering of billions of taxpayer dollars both in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The Department also recognizes the importance of operational contract support and that, to some degree, an internal cultural shift is required to optimize contractual support for future operational needs.  I commend the Department’s willingness to embrace lessons learned, and I will be encouraged by demonstrated progress in preparing and implementing new and more efficient plans and policies to improve operational contract support going forward.  These efforts will become increasingly significant as budgetary resources become more constrained.  The Department should continue to: sharpen its strategic and operational planning by factoring for potential contracting requirements; empower its contracting work force with adequate resources, education, and training; develop useful and integrated contract data management systems; and improve oversight of contractor performance.  I look forward to working closely with the Department in furthering these and other related goals.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this important hearing.  I thank the witnesses for testifying here today.”

 

###



Date Title
12/5/12 Rep. Adam Smith to Continue as House Armed Services Ranking Member
Date Title
11/19/12 Ranking Member Adam Smith Reacts to the Conflict in Israel, Gaza
11/16/12 Ranking Member Adam Smith’s Statement on Release of Ali Musa Daqduq
11/14/12 Ranking Member Adam Smith Responds to Attacks on Susan Rice
11/10/12 Ranking Member Smith’s Statement in Observance of Veterans Day
Date Title
9/29/12 Smith Responds to Attacks on Ambassador Susan Rice
9/20/12 Smith Statement on the Anniversary of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal
9/20/12 Ranking Member Smith’s Statement at Sequestration Hearing
9/19/12 Ranking Member Smith to Discuss U.S.-Russia Relations
9/14/12 Ranking Member Smith’s Statement on Sequestration Report
9/12/12 Ranking Member Smith Statement on Attack in Libya
9/12/12 Current record
9/11/12 Ranking Member Smith’s Statement on Anniversary of September 11th
9/11/12 Ranking Member Smith to Discuss Detention Policy, Civil Liberties, National Security
9/5/12 Ranking Member Smith Statement on “Insider Attacks” in Afghanistan
Date Title
8/2/12 Ranking Member Smith, Chairman McKeon Statement Following Briefing on Sexual Assault Incidents at Lackland Air Force Base
8/1/12 Ranking Member Smith Expresses Displeasure with Tone of Sequestration Hearing
8/1/12 Ranking Member Adam Smith’s Statement at Hearing with OMB Director Zients, and Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter
Date Title
7/30/12 Ranking Member Adam Smith’s Statement on WARN Act Announcement
7/26/12 Ranking Member Adam Smith Applauds Senators Graham, Kyl for Stance on Sequestration
7/25/12 Ranking Member Adam Smith’s Statement at Joint Hearing with Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
7/18/12 Ranking Member Smith’s Statement at Hearing on Sequestration: Industry Perspectives
7/10/12 Ranking Member Adam Smith to Give Speech on National Security Challenges in Africa
Date Title
6/28/12 Smith Spearheads Effort for Equal Treatment of Military Spouses
6/25/12 Smith: Time for Republicans and Democrats to Work Together to Stop Sequestration