Quigley Passes Two Amendments In Overhaul Of Defense Spending

Press Release

Today, Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) introduced and passed two amendments as part of H.R. 5013--the Defense Acquisition Reform IMPROVES Act. Quigley's amendments, which passed unanimously, seek to reform the Department of Defense acquisitions and spending process by improving energy efficiency on new purchases and calling for more accurate cost estimates on all projects and programs.

"When we spend inefficiently and fail to account for the realities of a 21st century war, we leave our soldiers more vulnerable and our country less safe," Quigley said. "My amendments are part of an effort to reform the Department of Defense's acquisition process while saving money, the planet, and our soldiers' precious lives."

Quigley's first amendment includes energy efficiency as a metric in evaluating the effectiveness and usefulness of acquisitions made by the Department of Defense. The bipartisan measure will help reduce the more than 330,000 barrels of oil used each day by the American military and limit the number of convoys that must travel across hostile territories to deliver fuel to outposts in remote areas.

His second amendment responds directly to Defense officials and analysts citing unrealistically low estimates as a reason for programs going over-budget. It demands that a third party group assess whether cost estimates are sufficiently independent and if a lack of objectivity contributes to inaccuracies.

Quigley has been an outspoken critic of inefficient defense spending. He spoke out against funding for outdated F-22 aircraft last year and voted against the FY2011 Defense budget that included corporate earmarks and equipment neither the Pentagon nor the President requested.

Quigley also demonstrated his commitment to a more sustainable and energy efficient military by recognizing the United States Army for its increased conservation efforts and commitment to alternative and renewable energy sources.

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