SENATE PANEL TAKES AIM AT SCHNEIDER OVER P-28 DURING NOMINATION HEARING

摘要

Just days after a House panel blasted the Department of Homeland Security's Chief Procurement Officer for failing to oversee several contracts (see related story), including that for the virtual fencing effort "Project 28," a Senate panel took aim at the White House's nominee for Deputy Homeland Security Secretary, Paul Schneider, demanding an explanation of what they have described as a failed initiative. Summarizing the findings of several past hearings on the specific shortcomings of P-28, which proposed to replace physical fencing with nine sensor towers equipped with various detection technologies along a 28-mile stretch of U.S.-Mexico border near Tucson, Ariz., Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) reiterated several Congressional concerns. "Project 28 has been criticized for many problems. DHS did not adequately spell out the contract requirements; the time line was unrealistic; and DHS did not manage and oversee Boeing's contract performance adequately," said Akaka. "Because DHS tried to do too much too quickly without much oversight, problems with the software were not understood until very late in the process and the entire project did not function as expected."