Nevertheless, NNSA continues to experience significant deficiencies, particularly in its management of major projects and contracts. As we testified in February 2012, a basic tenet of effective management is the ability to complete projects on time and within budget. However, for more than a decade, NNSA has continued to experience significant cost and schedule overruns on its major projects, principally because of ineffective oversight and poor contractor management.

Ezra Klein pointed out recently in a Washington Post piece the challenge that President Obama faces in his dealings with today’s Republican Party. Using the DREAM Act as an example, Klein shows how longstanding Republican positions, after being embraced by Obama, become toxic, making bipartisanship difficult if not impossible.