This whole brouhaha was debunked last year I remember Palin bitching about it. If anybody actually read the language carefully they would see like Oli stated that it is over 5 years and the specific language states '' up to'' a certain amount.

DHS regularly fills all of its goods and services requirements at one time because it's cheaper for the agency, and that the 1.6 billion number was misleading because the language of DHS's purchase said it would need "up to" a certain amount.

One solicitation by the agency—for training centers and law enforcement personnel—was for "up to" 750 million rounds of training ammunition over the next five years.

Another five-year contract allows for the purchase of "up to" 450 million rounds of ammunition, he said, and was also for law enforcement. That contract would be used by all DHS agencies except the Coast Guard.


This is quite common to include language which gives you the right to buy up to a certain amount of a good or service on top of your regular purchase if you chose to do it even if its x number of yrs in the future. This usually locks in the bulk price discount or an inflation adjusted figure if its for the future. This is common in commercial real estate and the procurement of mass supplies, i see it in my office all the time.