Sens. Webb, McCaskill's "Modern Day Truman Committee" Signed into Law
Posted by Matt Ortega on January 28, 2008 at 10:04 PM
Senators Jim Webb (D-Virginia) and Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri) spoke about the need for a "modern day Truman Commission," and last year introduced an amendment to that effect. The commission was signed into law by the President as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2008.
Senator Jim Webb's office provided details last September:
* Establishes an independent, bipartisan eight-member Commission on Wartime Contracting to study federal agency contracting for logistics support, reconstruction, and security functions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Commission will issue interim and final reports on its findings and recommendations, including an evaluation of which functions are inherently governmental and which functions are appropriate for performance by contractors in a contingency operation, especially whether providing security in an areas of combat operations is inherently governmental.
* Requires an assessment of the extent of waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement of wartime contracts, and the extent to which those responsible have been held accountable. The Commission will have the authority to refer to the Department of Justice any violation or potential violation of law it identifies.
* Expands the jurisdiction of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) and a newly-created Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) beyond reconstruction to include security contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also requires an expanded series of audits of wartime contracts by the inspectors general of the Department of Defense and other executive agencies.
Update: It turns out that the commission championed by Senators Webb and McCaskill was one of four items listed on a signing statement issued by President Bush.
Senator Webb will be speaking on the Senate floor about the signing statement shortly.
Stay tuned.
Comments - 12 »
Comments - 12 «
Quite the accomplishment by two junior Senators.
Posted by SandyH on January 28, 2008 at 11:35 PM
LOL! Dubya actually signed it! How'd they manage that? I thought he had Cheney read all the bills to him before he signed them!
Way to go!!!!
Posted by Butte on January 29, 2008 at 02:50 PM
Kudos!A pretty tough accomplishment to get anything through this obstructionist gauntlet.
Posted by virgo on January 29, 2008 at 04:03 PM
January 25th 2008
To the news media and our Reprehensive’s in Washington:
From the millions of Americans who are trying to survive on $500, to $700. Dollars a month. And not enough food stamps to feed us. If you are drawing a Social Security or Disability check and you are listening to the news MEDIA about who gets what when the checks go out on the ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE, you will find that once again the poorest of the poor are not even mentioned. WE DON’T EXIST. WE ARE invisible.
We vote to. Please help us out. We promise we will spend every penny you give us, right back into the system.
From the survivors of the Great Depression, and World War 2, who earned a better retirement than we get. And: Art Macon of Missouri.
Please include use in this package.
January 25th 2008
To the news media and our Reprehensive’s in Washington:
From the millions of Americans who are trying to survive on $500, to $700. Dollars a month. And not enough food stamps to feed us. If you are drawing a Social Security or Disability check and you are listening to the news MEDIA about who gets what when the checks go out on the ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE, you will find that once again the poorest of the poor are not even mentioned. We don’t exist. We are invisible.
We vote to. Please help us out. We promise we will spend every penny you give us, right back into the system.
From the survivors of the Great Depression, and World War 2, who earned a better retirement check than we get. And: Art Macon of Warsaw Missouri.
Posted by Artmac on February 1, 2008 at 10:49 PM
I can understand people being frustrated with the choices that are being made. The biggest topic that frustrates me more though is the way this stimulus package is being viewed. I understand that the government is taking the working persons tax dollars and distributing it to EVERYONE working or not but I think a step back needs to be taken.
They are giving us money (mainly the large chunk to the lower and middle classes) so that we go out and do the financially suicidal thing as to go back and spend it on McLunches, movies and other material things. They don't recommend to us to take the money and squirrel it away and do the responsible thing to make the money work for US. They want us to turn it around back into the corporate machine to get their companies back to feeling good. (meaning their revenues back to where THEY think they should be.)
Isn't that the core problem though? It isn't just them trying to save their retirement funds. Its us. WE went out and bought things we knew we couldn't afford. WE fell for the bells and whistles and flashing lights that the industry had to offer. WE ate the extremely over priced fuel being imported to us because we thought there was nothing we could do about it. They tell us the oil is in danger. They tell us turmoil or an explosion in some far land is causing fuel to jump almost a dime every week. But when we look into the news and see calm in these areas, the prices begrudgedly slide back down, taking months to do down a couple cents just to jump again. Save your money. Make it work for YOU.If you're an investor, invest it. As for us other "taxable units" as we are being labeled now, stick it to Washington. Hold onto your money. Show them that we are more fiscally responsible than they are. They should look to us for models and suggestions. Not just another cash cow.
Posted by Veteran94 on February 5, 2008 at 04:09 AM
I can understand people being frustrated with the choices that are being made. The biggest topic that frustrates me more though is the way this stimulus package is being viewed. I understand that the government is taking the working persons tax dollars and distributing it to EVERYONE working or not but I think a step back needs to be taken.
They are giving us money (mainly the large chunk to the lower and middle classes) so that we go out and do the financially suicidal thing as to go back and spend it on McLunches, movies and other material things. They don't recommend to us to take the money and squirrel it away and do the responsible thing to make the money work for US. They want us to turn it around back into the corporate machine to get their companies back to feeling good. (meaning their revenues back to where THEY think they should be.)
Isn't that the core problem though? It isn't just them trying to save their retirement funds. Its us. WE went out and bought things we knew we couldn't afford. WE fell for the bells and whistles and flashing lights that the industry had to offer. WE ate the extremely over priced fuel being imported to us because we thought there was nothing we could do about it. They tell us the oil is in danger. They tell us turmoil or an explosion in some far land is causing fuel to jump almost a dime every week. But when we look into the news and see calm in these areas, the prices begrudgingly slide back down, taking months to do down a couple cents just to jump again. Save your money. Make it work for YOU.If you're an investor, invest it. As for us other "taxable units" as we are being labeled now, stick it to Washington. Hold onto your money. Show them that we are more fiscally responsible than they are. They should look to us for models and suggestions. Not just another cash cow.
And as for the crying post about how the poor isn't mentioned in the rebate. You are receiving money. Not as much as the WORKING class that put the money there, but you are getting something. People with disabilities (I agree to this point) should be considered for a higher rebate. But people that are career welfare families? ANY tax payer should be a little more than uncomfortable with this.
Posted by Veteran94 on February 5, 2008 at 04:12 AM
Actually it was three junior senators. Jon Tester (D-MT) as also sponsoring it.
If Bush's signing statement isn't a red flag nothing is.
They need to drag that bill of impeachment out of committee, and start on Cheney. There'll be enough dirt uncovered on Bush in the process we can get rid of BOTH of them.
Those two scumbags need to be behind bars, not getting off scott free!
LEAVENWORTH FOR BUSH AND CHENEY!!!!
THERE'S STILL TIME OT IMPEACH THE BOTH OF THEM BEFORE THE END OF THE PRIMARIES!!!!
Posted by Butte on February 5, 2008 at 07:49 PM
War, war and war, let all the republic senetors and their kids, live in Iraq with no security and they will know, what is war means.
Posted by GBUSH on February 5, 2008 at 08:40 PM
Yeah, but it won't be just Leavenworth for Bush and Cheney. It's going to be the Hague first to be tried in the World Court for their war crimes. They will serve long prison sentences for starting this illegal war in Iraq and for crimes against humanity. Then if their prison sentences in the Hague are up and they are still alive. They would likely serve the prison sentences they got here next and will most likely die in federal jail. An fitting end to the two most evil people in the 21st century.
Posted by Darien on February 6, 2008 at 01:06 PM
The Hague would work. It would be very fitting.
Posted by Butte on February 6, 2008 at 05:27 PM
I am retired Military, and have never seen as much fraud waste and abuse in my life. Recently, the Chairman of Fed Ex noted that 40% of our defense budget is spent protecting the oil trade. For 4 years we spun our wheels and sent checks to Halliburton, while near 4,000 of my brothers in arms guarded the largest profit haul in history. Meanwhile this administration makes hollow promises to the veterans of these wars as they linger in Clinics throughout the nation. The Army has blocked cooperation between the VA and 10th Mountain at Fort Drum, because the Army decided that the VA's rating system was too generous. My God what sickening soul is at the head of that?
There is much to investigate. I would love to help in any way I can. I have been on-the-bench since Somalia. I would beg to serve again anywhere to get to the bottom of the mess and expose the treachery. God Bless Jim and Claire.
Posted by Fatherof7 on February 10, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Congress really missed the boat on the so called 'Stimulus Package!' They should have included the withdrawal of the troops in Iraq that would have created a surplus of moneys. They could have used the moneys not spent on the war to give us 'universal healthcare, aid the infra-structures of state & local governments, improve the educational system, increase the number of border patrol agents at all entrees to the US ("tear down that wall Mr. Gorbie"), spend moneys on more green projects to produce the necessary energy needed to operate this country which in turn would provide jobs in those technologies (if the US can place men on the moon we can succeed at this)'...someone said its the economy stupid and the two candidates for President Clinton and Obama aren't addressing this crisis as intensely as necessary!
Posted by YborCityRay on February 10, 2008 at 09:25 PM
« Hide Comments
Comments are now closed for this entry.
