FederalDaily - October 15, 2007
Lawmakers Critical of Outsourced FAA Service
Lawmakers this week were critical of the performance of contractor-operated Flight Service Stations
(FSS) formerly operated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), citing long wait times, dropped
calls and specialists ill-prepared to brief pilots on requested routes. In a statement to a Transportation
and Infrastructure subcommittee hearing on Oct. 10, Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., focused on a $1.8
billion privatization contract awarded to Lockheed Martin to consolidate 58 flight service stations
nationwide into 19, including three new hubs, and to maintain and manage the system. Pilots started
complaining about the system during the consolidation, Costello said. Committee chairman James Oberstar,
D-Minn., said in a statement that while FAA said the privatization would save about $1.7 billion to
$2.2 billion over the 10-year life of the contract, “this transition and consolidation of FSS
from FAA to the private contractor was not without difficulty, and while certain aspects of the process
went fairly well, it was also plagued by technical and management problems that could and should have
been avoided.” To see more, go to: http://transportation.house.gov/news/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=362.
:: Back to Top ::
Grassley Declares IRS Debt Collections Bill DOA in Senate
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said a new House bill to repeal IRS authority to hire private collectors
to pursue outstanding tax debts would find no traction in the Senate. The measure, the Tax Collection
Responsibility Act of 2007, H.R. 3056, sponsored by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., passed in the House
232 to 173 on Oct. 10. “This bill is dead on arrival in the Senate as far as I’m concerned.
It attempts to stop a program that’s brand new, yet already working,” said Grassley, ranking
member of the Senate Finance Committee. “It’s helping to close the tax gap, which key members
of the other party say is a priority.” Grassley pointed out that the program does not displace
IRS employees, but frees them up for complex investigative cases. Supporters of the House bill note
that the private firms weren’t meeting expectations. The private debt collectors reported $32.13
million in gross revenue through Sept. 20, as opposed to the $45.7 million to $65 million projected
for the year. To see more, go to: www.senate.gov/~finance/press/Gpress/2007/prg101007.pdf
:: Back to Top ::
Senate OKs Plan to Increase U.S. Marshal Border Presence
The Senate adopted an amendment to the FY 2008 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill aimed
at bolstering national security with an additional 250 Deputy U.S. Marshals along the international
border. The expanded force would help the U.S. Marshals Service meet increased duties associated with
transporting and guarding criminal illegal immigrants involved in federal judicial cases, said Sen.
Pete Domenici, R-N.M., sponsor of the amendment. The measure would allow the addition of 50 positions
a year for the next five years, Domenici said. The Senate is expected to complete the FY 2008 Commerce,
Justice and Science Appropriations Bill next week. The measure will then go to a conference committee
to reconcile differences with similar House-passed legislation. “While it’s not a long-term
solution to our nation’s immigration crisis, this amendment will help our forces on the border
with the resources and manpower they need to do their job,” Domenici said in an Oct. 10 statement.
To see more, go to: http://domenici.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=285222
:: Back to Top ::
|
