Hearings on Waste, Fraud, and Abuse of Taxpayer Dollars

From February 6-9, the Oversight Committee will hold four hearings on waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars.

Tuesday, February 6: The Impact of CPA Decision-making on Iraq Reconstruction

Ambassador Paul Bremer will testify for the first time since leaving as head of the U.S.-run Coalition Provisional Authority. He will answer questions about an audit report issued in 2005 by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction that concluded that more than $8.8 billion in cash was disbursed without adequate financial controls. Ambassador Bremer will also be asked to respond to allegations that the CPA filled positions with unqualified staff who were politically connected.

Witnesses
• Ambassador L. Paul Bremer
  Former Administrator, Coalition Provisional Authority
• Stuart W. Bowen, Jr.
  Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction
• David Oliver
  Former Director of Management and Budget, Coalition Provisional Authority
• Ambassador Timothy Carney
  Coordinator for Economic Transition in Iraq, U.S. Department of State
  *The State Department is refusing to allow him to testify.

Wednesday, February 7: Iraqi Reconstruction: Reliance on Private Military Contractors

Family members of four Blackwater employees killed in Fallujah will testify about what they view as profiteering by Blackwater USA, including the company’s alleged failure to provide armored vehicles and other critical safety equipment. The Committee will also examine in detail Blackwater’s security operations in Iraq under multiple layers of contracts and subcontracts that compound costs to the taxpayer.

Witnesses
Panel I: Blackwater Families
• Kristal Batalona
  Daughter of Wesley Batalona
• Kathryn Helvenston-Wettengel
  Mother of Stephen Helvenston
• Rhonda Teague
  Wife of Michael Teague
• Donna Zovko
  Mother of Jerry Zovko
  
Panel II: Contractors and Pentagon
• The Honorable Tina Ballard
  Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Procurement, U.S. Army
  
• Andrew G. Howell
  General Counsel, Blackwater USA
  
• R. Timothy Tapp
  Managing Director, Business Operations, Regency Hotel & Hospital Co.
  
• W. Steve Murray Jr.
  Director of Contracting, ESS Support Services Worldwide
  
• George Seagle
  Director of Security, Government and Infrastructure Division, KBR
  
• Tom Flores
  Senior Director, Corporate Security, Fluor Corporation
  
• Alan Chvotkin
  Senior Vice President and Counsel, Professional Services Council
  

Thursday, February 8: Management of Large Homeland Security Contracts: Deepwater and SBInet

The hearing will focus on the Department of Homeland Security’s management of large contracts that rely on private contractors as “system integrators.” The Committee will focus on two examples of multi-billion dollar contracts: the Deepwater program to develop new ships for the Coast Guard and the Secure Border Initiative to integrate technology and personnel to defend the nation’s borders.

Witnesses
Panel I: Auditors
• Richard Skinner
  Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• David Walker
  Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability Office
Panel II: Government and Contractors
• Elaine Duke
  Chief Procurement Officer, Department of Homeland Security
  
• Greg Giddens
  Director, SBI Program Executive Office, Department of Homeland Security
  
• Admiral Thad Allen
  Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard
  
• Accompanied by: Rear Admiral Gary Blore
  Deepwater Executive Officer, U.S. Coast Guard
  
• Jerry W. McElwee
  Vice President, Boeing SBInet Program, Boeing Advanced Systems
  
• Leo Mackay
  President, Integrated Coast Guard Solutions (Lockheed Martin)
  
• Philip Teel
  President, Northrop Grumman Ship Systems
  

Friday, February 9: Allegations of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Pharmaceutical Pricing: Financial Impacts on Federal Health Programs and the Federal Taxpayer

The goal of the hearing is to examine whether there are fraudulent, abusive, or wasteful pharmaceutical pricing practices that affect federal health programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and the Public Health Service “340B” program that should be the subject of additional congressional oversight.

Witnesses

• Dr. Steven Schondelmeyer, PharmD, PhD.
  Professor and Head, Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems
  University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy
• Gerard F. Anderson, Ph.D.
  Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management Director, Center for Hospital Finance and Management
  Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• James W. Moorman
  President and CEO, Taxpayers Against Fraud
• Lew Morris
  Counsel, Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• John Dicken
  Director, Health Care, U.S. Government Accountability Office
• Patrick J O'Connell
  Chief, Civil Medicaid Fraud, Attorney General of Texas
• Ron Tenpas
  Associate Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice