Cycles and trends in the procurement system: Anticipating changes in acquisition legislation, regulation and policy

In conclusion, let me raise the question of whether the Law Panel can impact these cycles or reverse these trends. If they are regarded as historical imperatives, the answer is clearly No. But we have been urged to be bold and to try to devise a new, simplified statute that will take us back to a better day. We are going to do that, without regard to the question whether Congress will accept the solution.

There probably has never been a better time for the Panel's report than the present; the window of opportunity is open. But what the Panel recommends is going to be awfully hard to sell, even in a window-of-opportunity year. If the predictions come true about the defense budget's going down to the level of the period when Eisenhower remained a Major for 14 years, maybe Congress will be receptive to anything that adds a little bit of value to the defense dollar. With this in mind, the Law Panel is likely to be very bold in its attempt to streamline the procurement system and reduce oversight. Hope springs eternal . . . .