(Alexandria, VA) -- Without strong legislative action, taxpayers will have a hard time being rescued from the U.S. Coast Guard's fiscally-distressed Integrated Deepwater Program: that's the "SOS" the 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU) sent to Members of the Senate Commerce Committee today, who are considering a bill authored by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to introduce much-needed reforms to the project.
"Deepwater's risks have increasingly become harsh realities for overburdened taxpayers, and this may be Congress's best chance to make a major course correction before the program runs aground," said NTU Vice President for Communications Pete Sepp. "The Coast Guard's promises to revise its procurement practices are commendable, but the people who pay Washington's bills deserve a commitment that's cemented into law."
Yesterday NTU publicly endorsed legislation (S. 924) sponsored by Senator Cantwell and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) to overhaul the $24 billion Deepwater Program, which was designed to implement a new system of ships, aircraft, information technology, and other assets to enhance the Coast Guard's various missions. Yet, Deepwater has experienced extreme difficulties with several of its key components, among them eight renovated cutters that were laid up due to performance problems, and two new National Security Cutters that are now at least 50 percent over-budget. S. 924 would require third-party reviews of plans for future procurements, call for reports to Congress on forthcoming contracts and the status of reform implementation, and improve the Coast Guard's management practices.
Sepp urged Members of the Senate Commerce Committee to avoid enacting any amendments that would weaken S. 924. Of particular concern are proposals reportedly being offered by Senator Trent Lott (R-MS) to simply plow ahead with the National Security Cutter and other projects, as well as strip a key safeguard requiring an "Analysis of Alternatives" before future procurement decisions could be made.
"Forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for over-budget projects that are also dysfunctional constitutes a twin-travesty," Sepp concluded. "The Committee should resist attempts to torpedo S. 924 and send this legislation to the full Senate at flank speed."
NTU is a non-partisan citizen group working for lower taxes and smaller government at all levels. Note: A copy of NTU's letter of support for S. 924 is available at www.ntu.org.