I want to thank the Chairman for holding this important hearing and thank our witnesses for appearing today.

We have a shared goal to ensure that our military forces are equipped with the best systems and technologies that the Department of Defense builds and buys, and that those systems are provided in the most effective and efficient way possible to protect our nation. 

We also have a shared goal that the Pentagon should be able to access the most innovative people and technologies available from the best small companies, defense industry, labs and universities.  Also, we owe it to taxpayers to ensure that we are buying things at reasonable prices and budgets. 

This hearing will give us a chance to learn how the Department is also working to make those shared goals a reality.

In my view, the Services should play a very important role in the research and acquisition programs that provide advanced systems and capabilities to our combatant commanders.  Under Chairman McCain’s leadership, Congress has strengthened the Services’ role in the planning, requirements, and program review processes that strongly shape whether our acquisition programs succeed or fail.  These new responsibilities are in addition to the role the Services have always played in the development of their plans and budgets, ensuring that programs are appropriately prioritized and funded, especially in difficult budgetary environments.  Finally, the Services play a critical part in nurturing the careers of the military and civilian personnel who work in acquisition, requirements, and budget fields.  Too often we forget about those individuals and the necessity to maintain, enhance, and prolong their effective careers within the Department of Defense.

Building on the successes of the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act and the Pentagon’s Better Buying Power initiatives, and making use of the new reforms in recent National Defense Authorization Acts, we are seeing some improvements in acquisition processes and outcomes today, and are well positioned to make more improvements, but we must do much better, and that’s why we’re here today.

I look forward to seeing how the Services plan to use their authorities and live up to their responsibilities to support successful acquisition efforts.  I also welcome a discussion of further changes that can be made to strengthen their role, as appropriate, with the hopes of continuing to improve acquisition outcomes and provide the best value and the best military capability for the nation.

Thanks again to the witnesses and the Chairman, and I look forward to the testimony.