May 23, 2018

U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representative,

You will soon consider H.R. 5515, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. On behalf of the more than one million members and supporters of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), I urge you to support the following amendments to H.R. 5515:

Rep. Garret Graves’ (R-La.) amendment to require a report regarding the management of military commissaries and exchanges.

Rep. Paul Mitchell’s (D-Mich.) amendment to require a review of regulations relating to the acquisition of commercial products and services, promotes the use of interagency acquisitions, and improves the process for acquiring services based on hourly rates when using multiple award contracts.

The amendment offered by Reps. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Leonard Lance (R-N.J.), Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Peter Welch (R-Vt.), Jason Lewis (R-Minn.), and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) to require a report ranking all military departments and Defense Agencies in order of how advanced they are in achieving auditable financial statements as required by law.

Rep. Kevin Yoder’s (R-Kan.) amendment to add the Email Privacy Act.

The amendment offered by Reps. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), Jody Hice (R-Ga.), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), Don Young (R-Alaska), Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Paul Cook (R-Calif.), Jason Smith (R-Mo.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Scott Tipton (R-Colo.) to address mine permitting issues in relationship to minerals deemed critical for national security and the nation’s infrastructure. The amendment is consistent with EO 13604 and EO 13817 from 2012 and 2017 respectively which ordered federal agencies to reduce the time required to make permitting and review decisions for critical mineral projects.

Rep. Ralph Norman’s (R-S.C.) amendment to state that the Secretary of Defense shall include, with the Department of Defense budget, a report regarding the funding for product support strategies for major weapons systems.

Rep. Steve King’s (R-Iowa) amendment to ensure no funds authorized go to the enforcement of Davis-Bacon.

Rep. Jody Hice’s (R-Ga.) amendment to reform the pensions and allowances provided to former Presidents and surviving spouses.

Rep. Dennis Ross’ (R-Fla.) amendment to require OPM to submit a detailed report to Congress on the use of “Official Time” by federal employees.

Rep. Ralph Norman’s (R-S.C.) amendment to require the Office of Management and Budget to keep separate accounts for overseas contingency operations and the accounts for the Department of Defense.

The amendment offered by Reps. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) to reduce the amount authorized for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Weapons Account to the amount in the budget request.

Rep. John Yarmuth’s (D-Ky.) amendment to require the Department of Defense to provide estimates of enduring costs funded with Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding as part of its budget submissions to Congress. This requirement is consistent with recommendations made by GAO.

The amendment offered by Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Jason Lewis (R-Minn.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Walter Jones (R-N.C.) to instruct the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to Congress a report on how funds authorized for overseas contingency operations were obligated.

The amendment offered by Reps. John Duncan (R-Tenn.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.), and Walter Jones (R-N.C.) to call for the Secretary of Defense to submit a report regarding awards and commendations presented to any military personnel for cost-saving ideas during the prior fiscal year and regarding how the Secretary plans to expand and streamline such awards programs for cost-saving ideas.

The amendment offered by Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Rod Blum (R-Iowa), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), and Francis Rooney (R-Fla.) to require DOD to report to Congress on ways they are finding and implementing savings laid out by the 2015 Defense Business Board report and for alternative recommendations to achieve cost-savings.

Rep. Drew Ferguson’s (R-Ga.) amendment to ensure competition in the commercial e-commerce portal procurement program to foster a marketplace that provides the best products at the best prices.

All votes on these amendments will be among those considered in CCAGW’s 2018 Congressional Ratings.

Sincerely,

Tom Schatz
President, CCAGW

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