Iraq Reconstruction

Rep. Waxman and other members of Congress have been seeking information on contracts entered into by the Administration for reconstruction and development work in Iraq, including several billion dollar contracts with a subsidiary of Halliburton Corporation. Many questions have been raised about the Iraq contracting process, including questions on the seemingly inflated prices charged by Halliburton to import gasoline from Kuwait into Iraq and Halliburton's admission of kickbacks to company officials. (Last Updated Dec. 9, 2004)

Latest News

Committee Holds Hearing on Deficient Electrical Systems at U.S. Facilities in Iraq

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing titled, “Deficient Electrical Systems at U.S. Facilities in Iraq” on Wednesday, July 30, 2008, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building.

Committee Continues Investigation of Widespread Electrical Problems in Iraq

Chairman Waxman requests additional information about Defense Department and KBR failures to address defective electrical systems throughout Iraq that have caused hundreds of fires and resulted in multiple fatalities.

New Information about Administration Knowledge of Hunt Oil’s Kurdish Contract

Documents provided to the Oversight Committee show that Administration officials knew about Hunt Oil’s interest in the Kurdish region months in advance, contradicting claims that Administration officials were caught off-guard and opposed Hunt Oil’s actions.

Committee Investigates Accidental Electrocutions of Soldiers in Iraq

Chairman Waxman requests documents from the Defense Department related to reports that at least 12 service members in Iraq have died as the result of accidental electrocutions attributable to faulty wiring.

Chairman Waxman Calls for Blackwater Investigations

Chairman Waxman sent letters to the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Administration, and the Department of Labor to request investigations into whether Blackwater has violated federal tax, small business, and labor laws.

Chairman Waxman Request Copies of RAND Report Entitled "Rebuilding Iraq"

In a letter to Secretary of the Army Pete Geren, Chairman Waxman requested classified and unclassified versions of a report produced by the RAND Arroyo Center that analyzed how the Army, the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the White House planned for the reconstruction of Iraq before Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Committee Subpoenas Iraq Embassy Documents

Responding to the State Department’s repeated failure to provide documents, the Oversight Committee issued a subpoena seeking documents related to construction and safety problems at the new U.S. Embassy in Iraq.

New Leadership Appointed to Oversee the Construction of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad

After the Committee raised questions about the cost and quality of the construction of the new U.S. embassy in Baghdad, the three State Department officials in charge of the project resigned and the Justice Department opened an investigation. New leadership was appointed to lead the construction effort.

Committee Seeks Baghdad Police Academy Records

Chairman Waxman asks the government contractor Parsons to provide documents explaining why it has not repaired the dismal conditions at the police academy, which it promised to fix in testimony before the Committee last year.

Chairman Waxman Seeks Further Information on Blackwater Contracts

Chairman Waxman wrote to Erik Prince, Secretary Rice, and Secretary Gates, requesting further information on Blackwater’s no-bid contracts, additional incidents involving their personnel in Iraq, and payments made to the families of Iraqis killed by Blackwater.

House Passes Resolution on Iraq Corruption

Today the House with a vote of 395-21 passed the Iraq Corruption Resolution, introduced on Friday, October 12, 2007, by Chairmen Waxman and Tierney. In his statement on the House floor, Chairman Waxman called the State Department abuses of the classification system “outrageous” and demanded answers to questions about corruption in Iraq.

Information Requested on Oil Exploration Contract in Iraq

Chairman Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Kucinich wrote to Hunt Oil CEO Ray Hunt and Ambassador Ryan Crocker requesting information about a recent oil exploration contract Hunt Oil signed with Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government.

Chairmen Call for “Honest Answers” about Corruption in Iraq

House Chairmen Waxman, Lantos, Skelton, and Obey write the Secretary of State to express their concern about endemic corruption in Iraq and the refusal of State Department officials to answer basic questions about the impact of corruption within the Maliki government on the chances of success in Iraq.

Documents Show Extensive Flaws in Iraq Embassy Construction

Documents obtained by the Oversight Committee depict widespread defects in fire detection systems, fire service mains, fire sprinklers, fire-proof construction materials, and electrical wiring throughout the Embassy complex. Other documents implicate the Managing Partner of First Kuwaiti, the prime contractor, in an illegal kickback scheme to obtain subcontracts under the Army’s multi-billion logistical support contract.

Hearing: Assessing the State of Iraqi Corruption

The Committee held a hearing to evaluate the status of corruption in the Iraqi government and whether U.S. government efforts to address this continuing problem have been adequate. The following witnesses testified: Judge Radhi Hamza al-Radhi, former head of the Iraqi Commission on Public Integrity; Mr. David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States; Mr. Stuart Bowen, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction; Ambassador Lawrence Butler, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near East Affairs, U.S. Department of State; and Ms. Claudia Rosett, Journalist-in-Residence, Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

New Questions About Blackwater Actions in Iraq

Previously undisclosed information reveals (1) Blackwater has engaged in 195 “escalation of force” incidents since 2005, an average of 1.4 per week, including over 160 incidents in which Blackwater forces fired first; (2) after a drunken Blackwater contractor shot the guard of the Iraqi Vice President, the State Department allowed the contractor to leave Iraq and advised Blackwater on the size of the payment needed “to help them resolve this”; and (3) Blackwater, which has received over $1 billion in federal contracts since 2001, is charging the federal government over $1,200 per day for each “protective security specialist” employed by the company.

Incident Reports Fault Blackwater in Fallujah Ambush

According to incident reports and eyewitness accounts written after the March 2004 ambush and mutilation of four Blackwater employees in Fallujah, Blackwater ignored multiple warnings, cut essential personnel from the mission, and sent an unprepared team “into the hottest zone in Iraq in unarmored, underpowered vehicles.”

Committee Issues Subpoenas to State Department

After the State Department failed to meet a deadline for providing documents and making witnesses available, Chairman Waxman issued four subpoenas, including one for documents and three for depositions of State Department officials, regarding the Committee's investigation into corruption in Iraq.

Committee Invites Blackwater Chairman to Testify

Chairman Waxman has asked Erik Prince, Chairman of the Prince Group and Blackwater USA, to testify before the Oversight Committee on October 2, 2007, regarding the mission and performance of Blackwater and its affiliated companies in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Chairman Waxman Reiterates Request for Information from State Department about Corruption in Iraq

After receiving an insufficient response from the State Department, Chairman Waxman reiterates his request that Secretary Rice make available information pertaining to the Committee’s investigation into corruption in Iraq. Following an initial review of documents at the State Department, the Committee requests that State provide copies of reports prepared by the Office of Accountability and Transparency (OAT) relating to the Iraqi Commission on Public Integrity and that OAT officials be made available for the Committee to interview.

Chairman Waxman’s Statement on Blackwater USA Controversy

Chairman Henry A. Waxman released a statement this afternoon following the press accounts that Iraq had revoked the license of U.S. contractor Blackwater.

GAO Finds Problems with Defense Department Contract in Iraq

Chairman Waxman releases a GAO report analyzing the Defense Department’s decision to pay KBR nearly all of the $221 million in costs that the Defense Contract Audit Agency questioned during its audits of the Restore Iraqi Oil contract for reconstruction work on Iraq’s oil infrastructure. The report finds multiple violations of federal acquisition regulations and procedures, placing millions of taxpayer dollars at risk and leaving questions unanswered.

Chairman Waxman Requests Audit Documentation for GAO Report on DOD Contract Management

In a letter to the Government Accountability Office, Chairman Waxman requests audit documentation pertaining to GAO’s report entitled:  Defense Contract Management:  DOD’s Lack of Adherence to Key Contracting Principles on Iraq Oil Contract Put Government Interests at Risk.

Allegations of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse at the New U.S. Embassy in Iraq

On Thursday, the Committee held a hearing to examine the performance of the State Department and its contractors in the construction of the new $600 million U.S. embassy in Baghdad. The Committee asked questions regarding the embassy compound construction as well as allegations of labor abuse through improper contracting practices.

Corruption Mars Iraqi Oil Production and Transport

Chairman Waxman asks Secretary Rice to investigate persistent allegations of corruption that have slowed the recovery of the Iraqi oil industry.

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