IN THE NEWS
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WASHINGTON – House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (MD), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, successfully amended the 2004 Iraq Supplemental Appropriations bill today in the full House Committee mark-up to require greater accountability on such areas as the money spent and progress made in Iraq and Afghanistan and the effect the war is having on our troops and readiness, as well as language requiring advanced review of the awarding of no-bid contracts. Congressman Hoyer released the following statement regarding his amendments:
“Failure in Iraq is not an option – but neither is spending $200 billion of taxpayer money without accountability and oversight.
“The Bush Administration must be held accountable for what we are asking the American people to pay for, because it is – as the president is fond of saying – their money that we are spending.
“By passing my amendment today, we dramatically increased the accountability attached to this enormous amount of taxpayer money that we are poised to spend. Without these additions Congress would have shirked its responsibility on behalf of the American people to oversee how and how effectively their money is spent.
"We also went a long way to preventing war profiteering, the despicable practice of making exorbitant amounts of money off the needs of troops and civilians, as well as the waste, fraud and abuse that often occurs when money is spent rapidly, by requiring advanced review of no-bid contracts. There have already been serious questions raised about billion dollar no-bid contracts going to Vice President Cheney's former employer Halliburton, from which he is continuing to receive compensation.
“Today, we simply followed the Constitution, by guaranteeing Congressional oversight of the taxpayer’s money. I have a feeling that most Americans appreciate what we did by adding these requirements.”
Congressman Hoyer offered an amendment to increase accountability in war spending in numerous areas and a second amendment to force seven days advanced review of no-bid contracts instead of after-the-fact review (up to 30 days after the awarding of no-bids contracts). House Appropriations Committee Chairman Young and Foreign Operations Subcommittee Chairman Kolbe supported both amendments and they were passed on voice vote.
The Bush Administration will now be required to provide quarterly reports to Congress on the following issues:
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