WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to reports ideology and political affiliation trumped skills and experience in the Bush administration’s hiring practices for the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq, several Senate Democrats today called for immediate hearings by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

In a letter sent to Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), United States Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) and Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) called for the committee to hold hearings and obtain the entire list of CPA staff.

“With only two weeks left in this legislative session, it is critical that the committee schedule a hearing as soon as possible on this issue. In addition, we urge you to immediately obtain the CPA’s staffing records, including a full staff roster. If these documents are not provided quickly on a voluntary basis, we urge you to subpoena these records, given our limited time frame for oversight in this Congress,” wrote the lawmakers in their letter to Senator Susan Collins (R-ME). “These irresponsible hiring practices led to a plague of incompetence at the CPA that haunts us to this day.”

According to media reports, applicants were asked questions about their political beliefs, and their vote in the 2000 Presidential election. Some were even asked about their position regarding Roe v. Wade.

A copy of the letter is attached to this release:

September 19, 2006

Honorable Susan Collins Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Collins:

We are writing to request an immediate oversight hearing on, and that the committee obtain documents related to, the hiring practices of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), which was set up by the Bush Administration to govern Iraq from April 2003 until June 2004.

Media reports over the weekend revealed that the Administration stacked the CPA with unqualified staffers for key positions, and rejected highly qualified applicants because their allegiance to President Bush and Republican philosophy was “uncertain.” These irresponsible hiring practices led to a plague of incompetence at the CPA that haunts us to this day.

With only two weeks left in this legislative session, it is critical that the committee schedule a hearing as soon as possible on this issue. In addition, we urge you to immediately obtain the CPA’s staffing records, including a full staff roster. If these documents are not provided quickly on a voluntary basis, we urge you to subpoena these records, given our limited time frame for oversight in this Congress.

The consequences of these missteps may have cost taxpayers billions of wasted dollars and potentially thousands of American lives. There should be no greater priority for the committee as we approach the end of this legislative session.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

________________________________ _________________________________ FRANK R. LAUTENBERG RICHARD DURBIN

_________________________________ CHARLES E. SCHUMER

cc: Senator Joe Lieberman