Wednesday, April 9, 2008
MEDIA CONTACT: STEVEN ENGELHARDT (314) 504-4029
Clay Demands GAO Probe of Harris Interactive Census Contract Failure of Hand-held Computers Will Cost Taxpayers Billions,
“Place 2010 Census Results at Risk”
WASHINGTON, DC. – This afternoon, before a joint House Oversight hearing, Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO) blasted representatives of Harris Interactive for the failure of hand-held computer devices that were to have played a key role in field operations of the 2010 Census. Chairman Clay ordered the Government Accountability Office to provide a complete review of the current contract with Harris.
Mr. Clay, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Information Policy, the Census and National Archives said, "This appalling failure of management oversight by both the Census Bureau and Harris Interactive, combined with ridiculous cost overruns is totally unacceptable," said the Congressman. "Harris Interactive is delivering half of the hand-held computers that the Census Bureau originally ordered. The machines can't do what we wanted them to do. And yet, Harris expects the taxpayers to provide more than $700 million more to pay for their failures. That is outrageous.;
Fatal flaws with the much anticipated hand-held computers recently forced the Secretary of Commerce to order the Census Bureau to return to the traditional pen and paper method for the 2010 effort, a move that will cost taxpayers up to $3 billion more and require the hiring of up to 600,000 part-time workers..
Chairman Clay continued, "In previous testimony, Harris Interactive and the Census Bureau reported that the problems with the hand-held computers were manageable, and that the program was on-schedule and on-budget. But today, we learn that was not the case. And even worse, while the economy is in recession and many Americans are struggling to pay for gasoline, food and to hang on to their homes, Harris Interactive and the Census Bureau now ask the taxpayers to pay for double the cost of this original contract, even though Harris will perform less work. That's irresponsible, and it insults the intelligence of this committee."..