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WASHINGTON, DC -
U.S. Representative Jan
Schakowsky, a Chief Deputy Whip, blasted the GOP for stripping her comprehensive
military contractor oversight amendment from the FY 2007 Defense Authorization
Act during conference consideration. The Schakowsky amendment would have
developed the first-ever mechanism for Congressional oversight of U.S.
taxpayer-funded mercenaries operating in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Now that we are more than three
years into the Iraq war, this amendment would have given Members of Congress the
tools we need to exercise our oversight responsibilities on what has become a
major component of our military and to clarify the role of contractors,”
Schakowsky said. “Unfortunately, the Republican majority’s strategy of
cut-and-run from their oversight responsibilities continues.”
“Private, for-profit military
contractors do not share the same mission-based goals as the U.S. military.
They are in business for profit. As the Iraq experience makes clear, a more
transparent framework for monitoring contractors is urgently needed.”
The Schakowsky amendment, which
passed the House of Representatives on May 11th, 2006 by voice vote,
would have required a DOD Inspector General report on contractor overcharges,
established a background check system for foreign nationals hired by U.S.
contractors, prevented contractors from hiring felons and human rights abusers
and required sufficient contractor oversight officers to review contracts in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
These
commonsense and necessary provisions were removed from the Defense Authorization
bill by Republican conferees behind closed doors. Private military contractors
make up the second largest force in Iraq after the U.S. military. |
