Metro East Sun

Rep. Tom Barrett, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, addressed the subcommittee today to discuss improvements needed in the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) software license management. The goal is to enhance efficiency and save taxpayer dollars.

Barrett emphasized the importance of managing software licenses effectively, noting that "VA spends over a billion dollars on software licenses every year and the Department has never done a good job managing it all." He compared software licenses to library cards, highlighting that VA needs accurate data to make informed purchasing decisions.

A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) revealed issues in VA's current management practices. According to Barrett, "VA could not explain what they paid for specific software products" due to bundled licensing agreements and had difficulty tracking whether purchased licenses were used.

The federal government has faced challenges with software license management for over a decade. Barrett noted that "as long as this problem is unresolved, there will be waste and inefficiencies." Earlier this year, agencies were asked to submit inventories of their software licenses. However, Barrett stated that for many licenses worth millions of dollars, VA reported usage as “unknown.”

Barrett acknowledged some progress by VA but stressed that more work is needed. He expressed his commitment to working with the new administration and praised efforts by President Trump’s administration aimed at reducing wasteful spending through better inventory reviews and IT procurement consolidation.

In conclusion, Barrett outlined three focus areas: ensuring VA maintains an accurate inventory with clear price breakdowns and usage tracking; understanding how mismanagement affects broader tech modernization; and identifying congressional actions to prevent resource wastage.

Barrett concluded by stating that each unused or duplicative license represents wasted taxpayer money and missed opportunities for veterans' care improvements. He then yielded the floor to Ranking Member Budzinski for her opening statement.