"Another Failed Stimulus Project"

From a press release:

U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (R-TX), Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, and U.S. Congressman Jeff Denham (R-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, announced today that the Subcommittees will hold a joint oversight hearing on managing costs and mitigating delays in the building of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) new National Computer Center (NCC). The hearing will take place on Friday, February 11, 2011 in 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 10:00 a.m. ...

In February 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided $500 million for the SSA to replace the NCC, the single largest building project funded under the Act. The General Services Administration (GSA) and the SSA are managing the development and construction of the new project, including the development of requirements for the new center and site selection. The project remains on budget but the projected date for complete commissioning of the new facility has been delayed one year to January 2015.

In announcing the hearing, Chairman Sam Johnson (R-TX) stated, “Information technology is the most important element in driving Social Security to deliver 21^st century customer service. Taxpayers are investing in a $500 million upgrade and they will not tolerate cost overruns or further delays in another failed stimulus project. Neither will I.”

“We need to hold the General Services Administration accountable for this half billion dollar project,” Chairman Jeff Denham (R-CA) stated. “The agency needs to use the resources they were provided, stay on budget and get this project back on schedule.”

What is fascinating here is that it is Republican policy that any remaining stimulus funds should be canceled and should revert to the Treasury, which would stop this project in its tracks. So which is it? Do you want to stop this "failed stimulus project" or keep it on track and on budget?