House forms “Smart Contracting Caucus”

A bipartisan group of members of Congress have formed a new congressional caucus dedicated to improving oversight of federal contracting and the quality and depth of policy discussions surrounding it. “The federal procurement system can be complicated and cumbersome, and making it more competitive, accessible, accountable and transparent requires a thoughtful, reasonable review,” the Congressmen said. The members cited the ability to discuss experiences and approaches from different agencies and departments, vet reasonable oversight solutions and share positive contracting experiences as prime motivators behind the new group.

The federal government spends more than $450 billion a year on federal contracting and more than a dozen different congressional committees and subcommittees share in the oversight of some or all of that process. Congressional caucuses are often formed to facilitate informal discussion and collaboration across party lines and committee jurisdictions on complicated and sometimes controversial issues. The caucus will allow members and staff to share information and engage in discussions with acquisition experts from think tanks, academia, industry, government and independent oversight organizations.

Reps. Tom Davis (R-VA), Joe Courtney, (D-CT), Christopher Shays, (R-CT), and Christopher P. Carney, (D-PA) solicited membership in an April 24 Dear Colleague letter to all House member offices. As of June 2, additional Members of the caucus include Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), and Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE).  (A “tip of the hat” to PSC for this post.)

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