| The Honorable Ron KindUnited States House of Representatives1406 Longworth House Office BuildingWashington, DC 20515 | The Honorable Rob BishopUnited States House of Representatives123 Cannon House Office BuildingWashington, DC 20515 |
Dear Representatives Kind and Bishop:
On behalf of the 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU), I write to express our support for H.R. 916, the “Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform” (FLAIR) Act of 2013. This bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior to create and maintain a full inventory of all federally owned land. A complete inventory would facilitate proper use of the land for purposes such as resource development, agriculture, conservation, tourism, forest management, and divestment.
Year after year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has designated management of the federal government’s real property as one of the areas most prone to fraud, abuse, and waste due to ongoing data problems. Thirty federal agencies maintain databases on real property under their purview, but much of the information is inaccurate or out of date leading to instances where properties with high scores for condition were in fact in poor condition with problems ranging from mold to radioactivity. In addition, most of the inventories are incompatible, preventing aggregation of the data.
According to an April 2013 GAO report, that echoed many previous reports, lack of reliable data and cadastres made it difficult for agencies to estimate exactly how much excess property is sitting on government balance sheets - and how much this waste was costing American taxpayers. Available estimates suggest as many as 77,000 buildings identified as vacant or underutilized could be costing taxpayers $1.67 billion a year for operation and maintenance. In this time of excessive debt, selling excess property or better utilizing current facilities could generate much-needed cost savings.
In addition, today’s technological advancements in mapping and databases could enable the U.S. government to easily track and analyze its real property. Of course, the faster Congress works to pass H.R. 916, the faster taxpayers can reap the benefits of reform. Streamlining and maintaining a comprehensive inventory is an important first step in disposing of unnecessary assets.
NTU is pleased to endorse the “Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform” Act and urges all Representatives to work towards its swift enactment.
Sincerely,
Nan SwiftFederal Affairs Manager