Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Mark Dayton today sharply criticized what he called the “willful blindness” of the Bush Administration to rampant fraud and abuse by military contractors in Iraq. Dayton joined his colleagues at a Democratic Policy Committee (DPC) oversight hearing to examine how contract abuse and mismanagement has plagued reconstruction of Iraq’s health care system and contributed to Iraq’s ongoing health care crisis.

“The Administration certainly wants to turn a blind eye to what’s going on, and the tragedy is that the Iraqi people are left to suffer, to die,” said Dayton. “Their failure is beyond words. It’s just beyond the pale.”

In December 2003, the Bush Administration touted their efforts to rebuild Iraq’s hospitals, clinics and health care system as a centerpiece in their reconstruction plans for Iraq. Less than three years later, independent audits reveal these plans have become mired in waste, fraud and abuse. The Army Corp of Engineers recently cancelled a $70 million contract with Parsons Corporation to refurbish Iraqi hospitals, after auditors reported the company had completed fewer than 20 of the 142 health clinics for which it was paid $200 million.

“It’s time for some accountability here. The corporate executives who are responsible should be prosecuted if they have knowingly defrauded the American taxpayer and the American government,” Dayton said.

The hearing marked the ninth oversight hearing on Iraq reconstruction contracting conducted by the DPC, which has moved to fill the congressional oversight void left by the majority-controlled standing committees.

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