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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Global defense contractor Science Applications International Corp. has agreed to pay $11.75 million to settle a federal civil claim alleging it overbilled the government for homeland security training programs under a more than decade-long scheme that was well-known among high-level executives.

U.S. Attorney Ken Gonzales on Thursday announced settlement of the lawsuit, which alleged systemic fraud in the program SAIC ran for the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. The program trains emergency personnel to respond to terrorist attacks under a Department of Homeland Security grant program that saw major funding increases after Sept. 11.

Gonzales declined comment when asked if the Justice Department was investigating whether the alleged overbilling extended to other government-funded programs run by the defense contractor.

The lawsuit alleged SAIC told federal officials it was using mostly high-paid full-time employees with benefits when it was actually using cheaper part-time workers, enabling SAIC to keep costs low and profits excessive.

Transcript: Heinrich’s First Senate Floor Speech

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Thank you, Mr. President for the opportunity to address this chamber today.

Mr. President, I am a strong believer that innovation is what America does best.

That boundless wonder and curiosity can lead to revolutionary discoveries.

That diligence and optimism can break down barriers.

Mr. President I’m a believer that technology, and more importantly the scientific method, are how we can best meet many of our 21st century challenges.

And this is indeed a time of great challenge for our nation.

There is no question that it is easier to govern in a time of peace and prosperity than in a time of economic recovery and global conflict.

But Americans are no strangers to adversity. Time and again we have shown our ingenuity and our perseverance.

In fact, the very character of our nation has been shaped by hard work and innovation.

That is America’s story.

And I am certain that our capacity to deal with the challenges that we face, rests heavily on our ability to make policy that is driven by facts, by data, and yes, Mr. President, by science.

Historically, America has responded to challenges with transformative innovations like electricity, radio and television, transistors, silicon computer processors, and the rise of the modern distributed Internet.

The National Park Service is preparing a Transportation Plan/Environmental Assessment to improve transportation conditions in Bandelier National Monument.
More than three decades of studies and workshops have documented transportation and congestion management challenges in Bandelier National Monument, including traffic congestion at the monument entrance and a lack of adequate parking in Frijoles Canyon. Recent fires and flooding events have contributed to a reduction in available parking in Frijoles Canyon further challenging the monument’s transportation system.
To offset reduced parking in Frijoles Canyon, the monument is currently partnering with Los Alamos County and Atomic City Transit to provide emergency shuttle service from the White Rock Visitor Center to Frijoles Canyon. However, the shuttle service is temporary and long-term strategies to address the monument’s transportation issues have not yet been developed and implemented.

The North Central Regional Transit District celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2007 and is now looking ahead to the next five years.
To that end, NCRTD has hired the KFH Group and Southwest Planning and Marketing to conduct 10 public meetings to get feedback and service enhancement suggestions from its riders. NCRTD staff will use that information to update its five-year service plan.
“We are hoping that these public meetings will generate more interest in the service, as well as knowledge of the demands and needs of the general public that we’re currently serving or not serving, because that’s critical for us to improve our service,” said NCRTD transit operations manager Mike Kelly.
NCRTD has covered more than 10 thousand square miles in North Central New Mexico and provided more than 185,000 free passenger trips in the last fiscal year. Routes connect communities and pueblos within Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos counties.
The free service is funded though a 70-percent gross receipts tax and 30-percent federal grants. NCRTD’s FY2012 budget was just over $11 million.
NCRTD recently received the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) 2012 Transportation System of the Year award.