National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chair, Chairman Mac Thornberry, and Ranking Member Adam Smith, I rise in support of Rules Amendment Number 161 to H.R. 4909, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal year 2017. However, I would first like to thank you for your thoughtful approach in writing this year's bill; it was not an easy task. The particular focus on end-force readiness restoration is to be commended; we cannot ask members of the armed forces to defend their country and democracy without adequately outfitting and training the soldier, unit and force. Additionally, I am pleased to see the NDAA's approach toward much needed acquisition reform, healthcare reform, Goldwater Nichols reform and more.

However, as we debate today it is incumbent on us as Members of Congress to continue the discussion about the right mix of active duty, civilian and contractors at the Department of Defense.

The recent uniformed military drawdown has not been accompanied by an equivalent reduction of either the civilian or contractor work force as in drawdowns in the past.

A large, disproportionate, and duplicative work force coupled with bureaucratic, structural inefficiencies has detracted from the Pentagon's production of combat power and its ability to modernize.

Right sizing the civilian workforce must be multifaceted, statutory in number, and implemented with executive discretion. Across the board cuts to the defense civilian workforce are not the answer.

Spending on contract services is over 50 percent of all Department of Defense purchases even as the total defense budget has dropped. Expenditures in service contracting lack appropriate oversight, accountability, and scrutiny.

However, no proper approach to addressing the civilian workforce may be accomplished without first understanding who these civilian workers are, where they are located, and what jobs they are performing. My amendment, Rules Committee Number 161, seeks a report by the Department of Defense on the total civilian workforce picture. In the past, reports have been requested but are fragmented in nature. The report I am requesting will require a projection from fiscal years 2017 through 2020 of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) and contractor employees broken down into several sub-categories including location, job function, General Schedule (GS) level, and date of when the job was created.

As we debate the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), it is incumbent on us as Members of Congress to continue the discussion about the right mix of active duty, civilian and contractors at DoD.

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