Senate Committee Approves McCain's Border Security Technology Accountability Act Of 2015

Press Release

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today approved the Border Security Technology Accountability Act of 2015, a bill introduced by U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) as companion legislation to a bill sponsored by Representative Martha McSally (R-AZ) that passed in the House of Representatives this July, that would improve the management and accountability of new border technology projects.

"There is no doubt that new technologies such as video and radar surveillance tools are improving the way we secure our vulnerable borders," said Senator McCain. "However, widespread mismanagement and a lack of accountability within our federal bureaucracy continues to prevent us from stopping illegal immigration, putting an end to human trafficking, and reducing crime in communities in Arizona and across the Southwest. We owe it to the people of our state to responsibly manage their tax dollars by efficiently implementing border security technologies that are proven to be effective, and this bill is an important step in that direction."

Specifically, the bill would require each border technology acquisition program over a $300 million-dollar threshold to have baseline cost, schedule and performance targets approved. The bill would also require the Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), to monitor the management of border security technology acquisition programs to ensure they are not exceeding cost estimates, experiencing schedule delays, or underperforming. Finally, the bill would require the Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with the CBP Commissioner, to submit to Congress a plan for testing and evaluating new border security technologies to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used efficiently and effectively.

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