The largest portion of the $91 billion in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 emergency supplemental appropriations bill reflects the Bush Administration’s request for extra funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The bill includes some things I support, but they were inserted as hostages to secure votes for what amounts to a multi-billion dollar slush fund for Halliburton,” said Abercrombie.

Abercrombie is especially troubled by the measure’s lack of accountability and oversight provisions. 

“This is a staggering amount of money the DOD can play with, without any accountability to Congress, the public or anyone else,” added Abercrombie. “This isn’t just inside baseball.  It goes to the very heart of how our nation is governed.  We demand transparency and accountability from governments in other parts of the world, but that’s exactly what’s missing from this bill.  It allows huge sweetheart contracts for companies like Halliburton, it hides the true cost of the war, and it keeps the public in the dark about how their dollars are being used.”

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