Rob Andrews

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. I yield back the balance of my time in opposition and urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank my friend from Texas for offering this amendment. I think it makes a very significant contribution to this legislation. What it effectively says is that competition should always be the general rule. Only when there is a compelling reason for an exception should there be one. So, for example, if there is a national emergency or there truly is only one entity that could provide a good or service, then in those exceptional circumstances, but only in those exceptional circumstances, should there be no competition before rewarding of a contract. Again, I think the amendment is very much consistent with the purpose, spirit and letter of the bill, and I would urge my colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Mr. Quigley for offering this amendment, as well as Ms. Giffords and Mr. Bartlett for their joint authorship of this amendment. As I stated earlier, the basic mechanism in this bill is to provide performance criteria for the purchasing organizations within the Department of Defense. This amendment says that one criterion may be energy-efficiency standards in the purchasing. Now, what does this mean? It means that the procurement organization should get the very best deal from the point of view of the servicemember as well as of the taxpayer and that one of the factors that should be taken into account is energy efficiency. For example, if under this bill the procurement organization is purchasing landscaping services and if, all other things being equal for the quality of the landscaping services and the price, one of the organizations uses more energy-efficient lawnmowers or other gardening machines, that purchase would be favored under this mechanism to encourage but not to require energy efficiency. This goes to a much broader question in our country that obviously involves the fact that we are buying nearly $300 billion a year worth of imported oil from countries around the world which may or may not be friendly to us. The largest consumer of energy in the United States' economy is the Department of Defense. Commendably, the Department under Republican and Democratic administrations has adopted, as a matter of policy, a methodical increase in the amount of renewable energy the Department is using. One of the ways it can reduce consumption toward that goal is by implementing energy efficiency. The amendment the gentleman from Illinois is offering is entirely consistent with that purpose because what it does is integrates into the procurement decisionmaking process a set of ideas which says that the procurement organization will look at the energy-efficiency ideas of a given competitor for a given contract. We support this amendment because we believe it will save the taxpayers money, that it will add value to our efforts to protect the environment, and that it will provide inducements to the ability to promote renewable energy, so we would urge a ``yes'' vote. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to one of the coauthors of the amendment, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Bartlett).

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition, although I do not intend to oppose the amendment.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``yes'' vote and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ANDREWS. I want to strongly support the gentlelady's amendment. I think there is scarcely a Member of this body who has not encountered a situation where a strong, viable business just outside the gate of a military establishment finds frustration that it cannot fairly compete for business opportunities, and the gentlelady has well described the situation. I have never heard a constituent say they want a special deal or they want to have special rules under the competition. What I've heard them say, Mr. Chairman, is that they want a fair and even chance to compete, but they want to be able to show there is some benefit to shopping locally. I think this is true in each of the districts that we all represent. I think the gentlelady has struck exactly the right balance between the need for true competition, so if the best deal is further away, you take it; but where there is careful and deliberate consideration of the companies and vendors that already exist in the community in which the military base is located, not only does this have the benefit of offering better value for the tax dollar, it also, I think, will build better community relations for our bases throughout the country. So I think she has done a great service by offering this amendment. I would urge a ``yes'' vote on it and reserve the balance of my time in opposition.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition, although I do not oppose the amendment. Again, I would yield to the minority at any time it wishes.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition, although I do not oppose the amendment.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment, although I will not oppose the amendment.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chair, at this time I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea-Porter), the gentlelady who built on the work Mr. Ellsworth just talked about to make sure that same standard applies to subcontractors.

Mr. ANDREWS. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment, although we do not oppose the amendment.

Mr. ANDREWS. We support Mr. Hall's amendment. He has been an advocate for government transparency since his first day in this institution. This amendment is a significant stride forward for transparency. Last year's major weapons system bill and this bill vests significant authority in the PARCA office, which is the review office or the auditing office of the Secretary of Defense. This office, under this bill, will compile annual reports judging the quality of the work by procurement organizations throughout the Department of Defense. Mr. Hall's amendment ensures that those reports become public documents so the taxpayer can understand with great specificity the quality or lack thereof by which their tax dollars are being spent. Mr. Hall is providing a valuable tool for oversight. Future Congresses will be able to understand those reports and act efficiently in terms of their oversight responsibilities. I think even more importantly what Mr. Hall has done is given the public an opportunity for that oversight. Some of the very best work on ferreting out wasteful government spending has come as a result of the First Amendment, from the press and from the public. So Mr. Hall's amendment will give the press and the public, as well as the Members of this body, an opportunity to understand the quality or lack thereof of procurement activities. I commend him for that, and urge support of his amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Hastings makes a very valid amendment to this bill that acknowledges that when we want to build the best workforce and brightest workforce, we should reach for diversity of the workforce. Mr. Hastings' amendment acknowledges the fact that we are living in a global economy, and one of the principal assets of our country is the diversity of our population in understanding literally every corner of the world because our people come from every corner of the world. Mr. Hastings's amendment directs that the Department of Defense, in its efforts under Title II of this bill, to improve the quality of our workforce, take into account the diversity of life experiences and backgrounds of those who apply for those positions. It is a very worthy amendment, entirely consistent with the purposes of the bill. I urge its adoption.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the time in opposition and urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. ANDREWS. We find it completely acceptable to yield to the minority if they have any comments. Otherwise, we support the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ANDREWS. I have an amendment at the desk as the designee of the author, Mr. Hastings.

Mr. ANDREWS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to my friend and colleague, the gentlelady from Massachusetts (Ms. Tsongas), who brought the expertise of a technical base in her district to the deliberations on this bill.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, again, I would like to thank the Members for their cooperation and for your stewardship of this debate. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. ANDREWS. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time in opposition.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, the only thing I would like to do in general debate is thank the staff and other Members and read their names into the Record. With that, we would close general debate.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment, although I do not oppose the amendment.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.