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Senator Klobuchar Supports Commission to Investigate Wartime Contracting

Klobuchar is co-sponsor of bill to increase transparency and accountability in contracts

September 26, 2007

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) spoke in support of an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill, creating a bipartisan panel to investigate contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan including funds for reconstruction and logistical support for forces.  Klobuchar, a cosponsor of the amendment, spoke in favor of the legislation today on the Senate floor, saying:

“People are yearning for more accountability from our government – they’re yearning for more transparency.  Today, in the area government contracting, we have a chance to act on it.  When I was a county attorney, we always said, ‘follow the money and you’ll find the bad guys.’  This Commission will follow the money and it will make sure people are held accountable for waste, fraud, and abuse.”

The new commission would have subpoena powers and could examine individual contracts. Most importantly, the commission would research the government’s growing reliance on civilian contractors to perform wartime functions.   The legislation will also expand the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction’s (SIGIR’s) area of responsibility beyond Iraq Reconstruction and Relief Funds.

This year, the Government Accountability Office reported that between fiscal years 2003 and 2006, the U.S. government has allocated more than $300 billion to support stabilization and reconstruction efforts in Iraq alone.  This increasing reliance on contractors exposes billions of taxpayer dollars to potential misuse and waste.

“We’ve heard that of the $57 billion awarded in contracts for reconstruction in Iraq, approximately $10 billion has been wasted,” said Klobuchar.  “This means that nearly 1 in 6 federal tax dollars sent to rebuild Iraq has been wasted.”

The amendment was a joint initiative of the Democratic Freshman Senators, including Klobuchar.  It was authored by Senators Jim Webb (D-VA) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO), inspired by the work of the Truman Committee which conducted hundreds of hearings and investigations into government waste during WWII, at an estimated savings of more than $178 billion (in today’s dollars) to the American taxpayer.

To access radio actualities from the Senator’s floor speech today click here:

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