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Rep. Darrell Issa, (R-Calif.), on the government wasting money on old technology.
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Well if it's not bad enough for a bunch of bureaucrats in Switzerland and tell us what to do with our money our own federal government never stops wasting it.
A new investigation began today in congress to root out wasteful spending on computer systems.
In government departments.
California congressman Darrell I -- is the chairman of the house oversight committee that is running the investigation he joins us now congressman welcome back to the show.
Which are most important finding here.
But the most important finding is that we lose on I -- European.
You know information technology procurement in two ways first of all we waste about twenty to thirty billion dollars of what we.
How we spend in new production in other words.
100000500.
Million billion dollar program to get written off unsuccessfully.
The other party is that 75% of what we spend our money on his legacy systems require what what I mean by that is often systems for weeks of computers.
They ran on no longer exist and were constantly trying to port.
Systems and only the older part of your audience will remember for -- coal vault to make them work.
And I think this.
Skyline here congressman for a second type into the department of tied.
Where they actually were running -- -- any assistance are so old so antiquated.
You can't imagine that patches and fixes are gonna work.
Now some of the numbers that you're coming up with that I find frankly fascinating.
The government spending 81 billion dollars a year on IT but one in foreign those dollars you say being wasted is that acceptable.
It's not acceptable and and because they thrown money at it from the low forties to the 81 billion dollars in ten years.
Clearly more money is not the solution but doing things differently have to be including holding vendors responsible.
With a plan that if the program doesn't work we don't K so the IT -- -- our committee -- draft proposing.
Does that it and I'll give you another one that that our committee was furious about years ago our committee created what was called the chief information officer position -- CIO.
There are 24 major agencies in the government there -- 243.
CI I was now.
I don't know what the word -- is supposed to mean exactly that's -- say doesn't meet.
It's a lot of Indians calling themselves chief -- being paid very well fort we need to change that it budgets aligned.
And that's like a company having you know -- and CEOs and I can't imagine how that works.
Another you -- -- -- the GAO study because I think it's hard for people understand the redundancies.
Out there the way.
Government just wastes our money every single day.
In the Department of Defense -- maybe they have personnel assignments systems they have one for officers another 14 enlisted person -- and yet a third for reservists.
I'm looking to make no sense why can you consolidate.
Save some money out there for taxpayers.
-- pony up new -- every year for ID IT that just makes no sense.
Now Jerry you're you're not only right but I'll give you one that that should infuriates even more I went on active duty has enlisted man in 1970.
And left active duty as an officer in 1980.
I had two sets of records sometimes three -- -- records at all time I had my active duty records the reserve in Saint Louis had another set the burned.
And the veterans administration maintained another -- and particularly when you're talking about returning.
Of veterans who have injuries they sustain.
Having multiple medical records that art computerized is also terrible and we've been working on it since I left active duty in 1980.
Clearly if we keep throwing money at -- not to get there in.
10.
Congressman Larry and exhibit just need to be this is ridiculous -- -- are you kidding me portray.
Our draft legislation is once dropped in and we're we're reaching out to people to get input particularly from the private sector.
We intend on overhauling the system is saving that one -- 25 billion dollars either applying it to systems that work person -- get back to the taxpayer.
And I think that's the beginning of it but let me -- the other part of -- It's not the 81 billion it's the fact that we don't know where the waste fraud and abuses in government because these systems don't work.
If we get these systems work properly through better procurement what happens is we start seeing the hundreds of billions of dollars being wasted and that's where the real savings to the American people will come from our right well.
-- -- -- -- ask about the president's inauguration speech which you make of it day and be.
Please address all these stories about how fractured the GOP is right now.
Lots of talk about how the party congress in particular is not gonna be able to respond not gonna be able to save money for the American people.
Well first of all we're very united on in the Republican Party I'm saving money we only control one half of 13 of the government.
But we're very united on -- but -- also -- party of individual liberty and individual thoughts -- lot of our members are trying to find better ways.
To stop -- president who gave an eighteen million minute address that was.
Absolutely all liberal agenda.
I you know beyoncé lip sing to her her song but the president's.
As song could have been easily figured out by simply going to the progressive playbook.
And reading off all the ones that he articulated -- -- Leading it hadn't seemed to see an olive branch being extended.
Across the -- in that speech.
He didn't even he didn't even give us -- cut off end of one.
Clearly the president has an agenda he's going to try to push it and that agenda is very expensive.
And look we would support bigger government get bigger government was -- solution I think the American people know.
That our government is already bloated and it's cutting off opportunities job creation in the private sector.
Is except for that energy sector you name is in fact lethargic.
I'm going to doubles with Eric Cantor this weekend we're going to be the other part of that discussion that in fact.
Low cost carbon coming in the form of natural gas exports is part of what America can do and low cost energy is what brings prosperity to the world.
I'm I'm now.
-- -- new energy.
Can you please why your their congressman can you please tell fully -- -- on that would that we don't want to send them fourteen trillion dollars for green energy plays.
I absolutely will express surprise this if we're going to if we're gonna get to affordable sustainable energy.
We've got to make sure it cancels out rather than simply being subsidized at the cost quite frankly of the ratepayers these men and women in America who paid more for electricity.
Don't realize what they're doing is being asked to pay more for something.
That although they feel good about it.
Is never in the foreseeable future gonna get to be more -- 20% of the source and effectively its poll.
And natural gas that are making it seem like electricity is still affordable if you had to buy all your energy from wind.
You in fact could not afford your electric bill.
Well -- have no energy.
You have to Wear big winner -- in your house chair with a 5% thanks for coming on tonight come -- -- please -- Jerry your well.
