WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the Senate and Environment Public Works (EPW) Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), announced today he has concluded his review of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) procurement process.

Senator Cramer presented the findings of his review, which focused on the construction of physical barriers along the southern border, in a letter to President Donald J. Trump.

“Over the past five months I have spent many hours with officials from the USACE, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Army, and SASC, discussing the border wall procurement process and reviewing procurement documents,” Senator Cramer wrote to President Trump. “As a result of this investigation, I have compiled the attached findings and recommendations for your review. I appreciate your attention to these issues that threaten the security of our southern border.”

In the letter, Senator Cramer detailed four key findings:

  1. The USACE’s procurement process fails to foster competition, particularly when it comes to price and schedule.
  2. The USACE set up a procurement process that disfavors new entrants and innovators.
  3. DHS has abdicated authority for the border wall to the USACE, creating a situation in which those who patrol the wall have little say in its speed and manner of construction.
  4. The USACE failed to meet the most basic standards of good faith cooperation in satisfying the Senator’s requests for information. The Administration must continue to work to drain the swamp and ensure our country is not run by unelected bureaucrats who, empowered by the media, obstruct the President’s agenda.

With each point in his findings, Senator Cramer included detailed examples of his findings and recommendations for how to improve the process.

Click here to read the full letter.

Senator Cramer is a member of the SASC and EPW committees, which both have jurisdiction over the USACE, allowing him to exercise oversight authority over the USACE.

Yesterday in his maiden speech, Senator Cramer outlined his efforts to take on the bureaucracy.

Click Here to Watch

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