Congress probes hurricane clean-up contracts

[emad]

Oliver Morgan, industrial editor
Sunday September 11, 2005
The Observer


A powerful investigative agency of the US Congress is to investigate the award of contracts by the Bush administration for emergency and reconstruction work in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The Government Accounting Office, which monitors public spending, is to audit the contracts won by the US firms. Already contracts have been given for repairing New Orleans' flood levees, rebuilding naval facilities, providing temporary housing and removing debris.

Companies winning work include US contracting giants Bechtel and Halliburton. Halliburton, formerly headed by Vice President Dick Cheney, is facing questions for allegedly overcharging on work done in Iraq. The Department of Defense was criticised for awarding Iraq reconstruction contracts to these two companies without competition. Other groups include Fluor and Shaw Group, a Louisiana engineer. The move comes as leading congressional figures express concern over the contracting process.

California representative Henry Waxman, who led much of the investigation into the Iraq reconstruction contracts, says: 'The administration has an abysmal contracting record in Iraq. We can't afford to make the same mistakes again. We must make sure taxpayer funds are not wasted, because every dollar thrown away today is a dollar that is not available to hurricane victims and their families.' Contracts had to be awarded in 'full transparency'. He added the audit of the contracting was 'a very good first step'.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,6903,1567081,00.html

[OneGrassRoot]

1. yes, yes, yes.....full transparency!!!!!!!!!!!

THAT should be a friggin huge talking point from now on.....:bounce:

[rocktivity]

2. CUE THE VONAGE THEME!

:woohoo:
rocknation

[Benhurst]

3. It's not nice to question Haliburton. Uncle Dick won't like that. NT

[texpatriot2004]

9. Uncle Dick can go Cheney himself. n/t

[WhiteTara]

4. Henry Waxman is another hero!

:kick:

[mirandapriestly]

12. I LOVE Waxman nt

[JABBS]

5. For another take on this story

Go to Journalists Against Bush's B.S.

Why hasn't the U.S. press picked up this story?

[jsamuel]

6. investigate :)

[ladylibertee]

7. I'm Glad they are

I do not trust Halliburton at all .

[burrowowl]

8. Yeah! Right!

With so many repukes with no conscience!
Sunday's comics Opus was great, go google it!

[novak goes postal]

10. looks as though Cheney will have to win these contracts Legally...ha ha ha

[Tesla]

11. BULL!!

He will get his way NO MATTER WHAT!!

He has sold his soul, and the Devil has to come through for him.
He has a contract!!!

[Catchawave]

13. Be aware of the RW talking points....

Halliburton is the only contractor experienced in large scale projects such as rebuilding Iraq and NOLA.

That's my experience with pro-BushCo people who justify the no-bid contracts.

[ohtransplant]

14. Has GAO investigated Halliburton's Iraq contracts?

If not, they should. If they have, then does anyone know the outcome?

These guys (*, Cheney and their war/disaster-profiteering friends)don't care how things look or who knows as long as they secure their plunder.

[Maggie_May]

15. Halliburton is already being investigated

Dick Cheney is making all of us look like fools. His company is already being investigated for monies not accounted for in Iraq. Our Senators and Congress should not even let them on the ground for Katrina recovery. This is a outrage!

[ignatius 2]

16. Funny how fast they can award the damned contracts,even before the bodies

are counted.

I am glad to see the GAO involved, every frickin' penny should be watched closely and accounted for. No bid contracts should be tossed out and as much as possible the work should be given to the locals.

[Demeter]

17. Smelling Salts! Quickly!

I don't make a habit of fainting, but the thought of Democrats acting as an opposition party takes my breath away.

[420inTN]

18. The Halliburton/Navy contract was a bid contract awarded last year.

Big surprise the Halliburton "won" the bidding process.