In the News

Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Vice Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, released the following statement on GAO’s Data Center Optimization report released yesterday, which found that agencies are not planning to meet their data center consolidation goals required by FITARA. In the report, GAO recommends that Congress consider extending the time frame for the data center consolidation and optimization provisions of FITARA.

“It is disappointing but not surprising that with one year left to implement the Data Center Optimization Initiative established by OMB under FITARA, 17 of the 22 agencies are not planning to meet their data center consolidation and optimization targets. These findings confirm why it is so important Congress pass the FITARA Enhancement Act. We cannot allow agencies to run out the clock on data center optimization goals and potentially leave billions of dollars in savings that can be reinvested in IT modernization.

“This GAO report clearly states that extending the time frame for agencies to implement the Data Center Optimization Initiative would increase the likelihood that agencies will meet OMB’s optimization targets and realize related cost savings. GAO’s recommendation that Congress extend the time frame for the data center consolidation and optimization provisions of FITARA beyond the current expiration date of October 1, 2018, already has bipartisan support in the FITARA Enhancement Act, and I am hopeful Congress will pass this legislation soon.”

The full GAO report can be found here.

Connolly’s FITARA Enhancement was included in the House-passed National Defense Authorization in July and passed the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as standalone legislation in July.