The Honorable Jeh Johnson
Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528
Dear Secretary Johnson:
I write today to strongly urge the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to incorporate the highest level of oversight and accountability as it develops and implements the Arizona Border Surveillance Technology Plan. This plan, as described by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Assistant Commissioner Mark Borkowski before the House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, consists of seven distinct programs comprised of radars, sensors and cameras that together will enable the department to effectively monitor the northern and southern borders.
Border security is one of this country's most pressing national security issues and improving security at the border has been a priority for me since before I came to Congress. Effectively securing our borders requires a multi-faceted approach and includes ensuring our Border Patrol agents have the technology and related equipment they need to stay one step ahead of those who threaten our safety and security.
However, I have seen taxpayer dollars wasted on border security technology projects that over-promised and under-delivered. I will be closely watching this project to ensure an efficient and cost-effective border security system is delivered to American taxpayers.
Department acquisition programs, including the Arizona Border Surveillance Technology Plan, can be very costly, may experience project delays and do not always produce the intended results. While the Arizona plan has been reported to have been procured at a price that is lower than was originally projected and department officials have testified that the department has learned from previous border surveillance technology acquisition experiences, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) still reported that CBP's program schedule and lifecycle cost estimates do not reflect best practices, that CBP did not fully complete acquisition documentation and that CBP does not identify how this set of programs will contribute to resource allocations.
As ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency, I am committed to ensuring the department spends taxpayer dollars wisely. That is why I am an original cosponsor of the bipartisan DHS Acquisition and Accountability Efficiency Act: a bill that will ensure transparency, accountability and consistency are integrated into DHS's acquisitions process. I believe the department must be devoted to these principles if it is to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not wasted on this new border surveillance program.
The public is justifiably concerned with the scope and magnitude of this plan, which in terms of costs, and according to GAO ranges from $3 million to $961 million. Therefore, I respectfully ask you to address the following questions:
1. Best practices include the development of a master schedule. However, in its March 2014 report, GAO reported that CBP has not developed an Integrated Master Schedule, instead using separate schedules shared between programs, resulting in individual program project delays. If the department does not plan to develop an integrated master schedule, please identify steps the department will take to ensure that program workers and resources for the seven separate programs are allocated efficiently to ensure the overall plan stays on schedule and within budget. Additionally, please identify the individual responsible for this task.
2. Taxpayer money can be most effectively used by adhering to DHS acquisition guidance. Nevertheless, the GAO's March 2014 report found that the department did not consistently approve acquisition documents in accordance with DHS acquisition guidance for the surveillance plan's three most-expensive programs. How do you plan to address this deficiency?
3. How will the Arizona Border Surveillance Technology Plan, once complete, fit into the department's broader border security plan? How will this system complement the department's current resources and how will it influence the department's future allocation of personnel, notably U.S. Border Patrol agents, on the southern border?
4. Please quantify the number of Review Board (ARB) meetings; past, present and future. What were the ARB's findings and to what extent has the department incorporated ARB findings into the surveillance technology plan?
As the department moves forward with the Arizona Border Surveillance Technology Plan, I urge the highest level of department oversight and accountability to ensure it stays within cost, develops on time and produces the intended and desired results.