The moment the new Senate takes office, can it please reinstate the office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR)? The one that was discontinued in a secret provision of the recent Defense bill?
A bipartisan group led by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is seeking to keep the Special IG office in business.“I strongly support the continuation of [Bowen’s] office as long as American tax dollars are being spent on Iraq reconstruction,” said Collins. “I am working with Senators Russ Feingold, John Warner and Joseph Lieberman and will propose legislation to extend the term of the SIGIR past the October 1, 2007, expiration date."
Here's what Bowen had to say recently:
“This was a waste of money because the contractors were ordered to go to Iraq to work, but they weren’t working,” explained Bowen (whose office will disappear in October 2007 unless critics of the termination prevail in having the office continue). Due to the deteriorating security situation, many contractors were forced to remain idle, but taxpayer dollars still had to pay for their food and housing while they waited to begin work in Iraq. “About $62 million was spent on overhead for contractors that only accomplished $26 million in construction work.”
There you go, guys and gals. Support Senator Collins' bill and get this reinstated. We need to know what all those companies have done for the billions they've gotten paid.
Posted by Linkmeister at November 9, 2006 10:56 AM | TrackBack