The Hill calls top procurement officials to testify

A Senate Armed Services Committee subcommittee has asked top federal procurement officials and experts to testify as it investigates the Defense Department's acquisition of services and its use of interagency contracting.The Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee has summoned Marcia Madsen, chairwoman of the Acquisition Advisory Panel; Paul Denett, administrator of federal procurement policy; and Shay Assad, director of defense procurement and acquisition policy, among other experts on the Acquisition Advisory Panel.The hearing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Jan. 31 in Room 222 of the Russell Senate Office Building.The panel, created by the Services Acquisition Reform Act of 2003 and often called the SARA panel, has reviewed and issued a draft report on recommendations for changing federal acquisition laws and regulations. The panel also reviewed governmentwide acquisition policies in terms of their effective and appropriate use of commercial practices and performance-based contracting, as its charter required. Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) is chairman of the subcommittee that will hold the hearing.