Date: 2013-06-13
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chair. the Rules Committee made several amendments I offered to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 in order. The Jackson Lee Amendments are simple and if adopted would improve the final bill. The Jackson Lee Amendment designated as #95 provides for the improved management of defense equipment and supplies through automated information and data capture technologies. The private sector has leaped forward in using inventory tracking technology to monitor large and small products from the time they leave manufacturing facilities until they are sold at retail or wholesale stores. Adoption and implementation of DODs Item Unique Identification (IUID) policy for serialized asset control will make several asset management and supply chain management improvements. Once fully implemented. if an item is in the inventory of any DOD facility anywhere in the world. it would be easy to locate and deliver where and when it is needed. This happens every day in retail settings and it should be the standard way DOD inventory is managed. My amendment would support the work of the DOD to adopt a proven private sector method for more efficiently managing inventory. The most advanced warehouse inventory management systems are fully automated and biometrically controlled to track items and create records of people who make request to transport items from storage to use. These systems make sure that persons seeking to move items have the authority to do so and that the requests create records that can be tracked as well as track the items moved. These fully automated warehouses have no staff. but rely upon technology that is designed to store and retrieve items in the most cost effective and efficient manner possible. The automated warehouse systems are in use in the private sector and are one of the many innovations that may assist the DOD in improving efficiency of equipment management while saving potentially millions of dollars in labor and acquisition costs. The Jackson Lee Amendment designated as #49 requires outreach by the DOD to small business concerns owned and controlled by women and minorities before conversion of certain functions to contractor performance. Federal contracting can be an important revenue source for businesses of any size. In fiscal year 2011. federal agencies obligated a total of around $537 billion in government contracts to businesses. However. federal agencies goal for contracting with women and minority owned businesses is five percent. The Department of Defense is a major consumer of products and services that range from office products to military specific equipment. The wide ranges of business opportunities provide ample reasons to engage women and minority owned businesses as contractors or subcontractors. This Amendment requires outreach by the DOD to small business concerns owned and controlled by women and minorities before conversion of certain functions to contractor performance. Federal contracting can be an important revenue source for businesses of any size. In fiscal year 2011. federal agencies obligated a total of around $537 billion in government contracts to businesses. However. federal agencies goal for contracting with women and minority owned businesses is five percent. The Jackson Lee Amendment designated as #95 provides an improved management of defense equipment and supplies through automated information and data capture technologies. The private sector has leaped forward in using inventory tracking technology to monitor large and small products from the time they leave manufacturing facilities until they are sold at retail or wholesale stores. Adoption and implementation of DODs Item Unique Identification (IUID) policy for serialized asset control will make several asset management and supply chain management improvements. Once fully implemented. if an item is in the inventory of any DOD facility anywhere in the world. it would be easy to locate and deliver where and when it is needed. This happens every day in retail settings and it should be the standard way DOD inventory is managed. My amendment would support the work of the DOD to adopt a proven private sector method for more efficiently managing inventory. The most advanced warehouse inventory management systems are fully automated and biometrically controlled to track items and create records of people who make request to transport items from storage to use. These systems make sure that persons seeking to move items have the authority to do so and that the requests create records that can be tracked as well as track the items moved. These fully automated warehouses have no staff. but rely upon technology that is designed to store and retrieve items in the most cost effective and efficient manner possible. Fully automated warehouse systems. such as the ones operated by Genco. are in use in the private sector and are one of the many innovations that may assist the DOD in improving efficiency of equipment management while saving potentially millions of dollars in labor and acquisition costs. I urge all members to support these amendments. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendments en bloc offered by the gentleman from California . The en bloc amendments were agreed to.