Iraq Reconstruction Accountability Act of 2006

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of S. 4046, the Iraq Reconstruction Accountability Act, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator Collins and is the companion measure to my bill, the bill I introduced, H.R. 6341, which is pending here in the House.

I can honestly say that if we pass this bill today, and I believe we will, it will be a good day for the American taxpayer. This bill is vital to ensure

that the good work of the Special Inspector General for Iraq will continue as long as we remain in Iraq. It should not be a partisan issue, and I am glad to see this bill come to the floor today with bipartisan support.

In particular, I want to thank Duncan Hunter, who has ably led the Armed Services Committee for the past 4 years, and who will serve as my ranking member in the next Congress. I look forward to working with him during the next Congress.

Mr. Speaker, during our conference with the Senate on the defense authorization bill this year, Chairman Hunter agreed to expand the jurisdiction of the Special Inspector General for Reconstruction in Iraq to include reconstruction funds approved by Congress in 2006, at the same time the conference decided to change the date upon which the SIGIR would be terminated from a date dependent upon when the money was all spent to a date certain, October 1, 2007.

Although I disagree with that decision, it was done in an open and fair manner during the regular course of the conference discussions, and I want to recognize the fact that Chairman Hunter always approached this issue in an upfront and honorable way.

Furthermore, although Chairman Hunter continues to believe that the October 1 termination date is appropriate, he raises no objection to the consideration of the Skelton-Collins bill. For that, I wish to thank the gentleman.

The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction has been given a unique mandate by Congress, a mandate to review our rebuilding activities in Iraq. Billions of taxpayer dollars have been committed to this effort, often using abbreviated contracting procedures, and these activities are being carried out in an environment uniquely challenging not only for contractors but for the auditors attempting to oversee them.

The SIGIR has done a remarkable job in providing constructive and aggressive oversight of these activities, and that group estimates that its oversight and audit activities have resulted in savings as well as potential benefits of some $405 million. I am confident that those savings will only increase as a result of the bill we consider here today, Mr. Speaker.

I would point out that this bill passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support under unanimous consent, without any amendment, and my original bill here in the House just a few weeks ago has some 58 cosponsors, including a number of well-respected Republicans, including several senior leaders on defense issues.

In addition, incoming Defense Secretary Bob Gates testified to the Senate that he truly believes that the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction should be extended, and the Iraq Study Group as well include the extension in its recommendations. We would be wise to heed the counsel of both Secretary-designee Gates as well as the Baker- Hamilton group.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this bill. Vote for accountability; vote for good government. I can assure you it is the right thing to do.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks)

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from California was kind enough to mention the fact that we look forward to next year, and I look forward to working with him as ranking member. And I appreciate his many, many courtesies to me during his tenure as chairman, and our friendship shall continue. Thank you for that.

We are going to be losing, as Chairman Hunter mentioned, several people from our Committee on Armed Services. I wish to make special mention of Congressman Lane Evans who has been a leader in veterans affairs, the ranking member of that committee, and we will miss him sorely. He has made a great contribution for a good number of years, and I wish to publicly thank Congressman Evans for his efforts, undying efforts through the years.

Cynthia McKinney will be leaving. Curt Weldon will be leaving; he spoke yesterday in the committee. Joel Hefley, that marvelous gentleman from Colorado who has worked with me in particular on military construction efforts that have been so successful for the State of Missouri, and I should mention that his tireless efforts through the years in that arena were very, very good. Dr. Joe Schwarz will be leaving. There are others. Chairman Hunter mentioned them by name. These folks that I mentioned made a great contribution, and I wish to acknowledge them at this time.

I yield to the gentleman from California.

I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, it appears that I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, today Senator Feingold and I are introducing the Iraq Reconstruction Accountability Act of 2006. This bipartisan legislation, is co-sponsored by Senators Lieberman, Leahy, Coleman, Cantwell, Salazar, Kerry and Coburn, has a single purpose: to ensure continuing, vigorous oversight of American tax dollars in Iraq by repealing the premature termination date for the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR).

This legislation would restore SIGIR's termination date to its previous schedule of 10 months after 80 percent of Iraq reconstruction funds have been expended. It would repeal conference language in the 2007 Defense Authorization Bill that would close SIGIR on October 1, 2007, and transfer oversight to the Inspectors General of the Departments of State, Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Departmental and agency Inspectors General perform an important service with dedication and expertise. However, those offices are configured to provide audits, inspections, and investigations of continuing government operations. The traditional approach of IG oversight--extensive inquiries, lengthy preparation and delivery of reports, recommendations for corrective action--is thorough. But it also is time-consuming and can allow wasteful or fraudulent practices to continue for some time.

Iraq reconstruction is a unique situation, with enormous amounts of money being spent in a relatively short period of time on a specific range of programs and operations. A number of agencies across the federal government are active in Iraq reconstruction, including the Department of Defense, the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Justice and others. Reconstruction managers, and ultimately the taxpayers, do not have the luxury of waiting months to receive recommendations to correct wasteful or fraudulent practices. Oversight of Iraq reconstruction requires that the Inspector General be able to cross departmental boundaries and deliver the results of his work quickly and efficiently.

Effective oversight of Iraq reconstruction requires the unique approach provided by the SIGIR. Special Inspector General Stuart Bowen described this approach in testimony before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in a hearing on August 2. SIGIR's auditors and inspectors provide on-the-spot guidance to managers as soon as problems are discovered, so corrective action can begin immediately. This ``real time'' method allows most of his reports to document not only how problems were detected, but also how they were corrected.

This method works. It should continue as long as American funds are being used for Iraq reconstruction, not terminate on some arbitrary and premature date. As of October 30, 2006, SIGIR estimates that the financial impact of its audit operations is $441 billion, its investigative operations is $20 million and its inspection operations is

$1.44 billion. It has achieved these results while costing the taxpayer $72 million. This means that for every dollar SIGIR has spent there has been a financial impact of $25 dollars, a very impressive ratio. SIGIR has also opened 256 cases thus far, and has either referred for prosecution or cleared 164. SIGIR has an impressive record. The Office has 92 open cases, with 25 of them at the Department of Justice. SIGIR has issued 73 audit reports and 65 project assessments. Its work has led to the arrests of five people, and the convictions of four, with more than $17 million in assets seized. During the current quarter, SIGIR investigators opened 20 new cases and closed 10.

There is no question that SIGIR has proven itself to be a much-needed watchdog, auditing reconstruction contracts in Iraq and spotlighting numerous cases of waste, fraud and abuse. We must keep this watchdog on the job.

In addition, SIGIR has taken on a mission that will benefit our nation long after the Iraq reconstruction efforts conclude. Through its Lessons Learned Initiative, the experience gained in Iraq--and the methods developed to track, evaluate, and correct programs--will provide critical guidance to managers and policymakers in the future. The efficient and speedy SIGIR approach would have helped the initial urgent stages of Katrina recovery immeasurably, and it will be invaluable in the aftermath of new disasters to come.

SIGIR has performed admirably in the most difficult of circumstances. Mr. Bowen and his exemplary staff have put themselves in harm's way numerous times. This incredible dedication is reflected in their work, which provides a high degree of oversight and accountability that is essential for Iraq reconstruction to succeed, and it is creating a template for success in the challenges that lie ahead. I urge my colleagues to support the Iraq Reconstruction Accountability Act. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today Senator Feingold and I are introducing the Iraq Reconstruction Accountability Act of 2006. This bipartisan legislation, is co-sponsored by Senators Lieberman, Leahy, Coleman, Cantwell, Salazar, Kerry and Coburn, has a single purpose: to ensure continuing, vigorous oversight of American tax dollars in Iraq by repealing the premature termination date for the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR).

This legislation would restore SIGIR's termination date to its previous schedule of 10 months after 80 percent of Iraq reconstruction funds have been expended. It would repeal conference language in the 2007 Defense Authorization Bill that would close SIGIR on October 1, 2007, and transfer oversight to the Inspectors General of the Departments of State, Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Departmental and agency Inspectors General perform an important service with dedication and expertise. However, those offices are configured to provide audits, inspections, and investigations of continuing government operations. The traditional approach of IG oversight--extensive inquiries, lengthy preparation and delivery of reports, recommendations for corrective action--is thorough. But it also is time-consuming and can allow wasteful or fraudulent practices to continue for some time.

Iraq reconstruction is a unique situation, with enormous amounts of money being spent in a relatively short period of time on a specific range of programs and operations. A number of agencies across the federal government are active in Iraq reconstruction, including the Department of Defense, the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Justice and others. Reconstruction managers, and ultimately the taxpayers, do not have the luxury of waiting months to receive recommendations to correct wasteful or fraudulent practices. Oversight of Iraq reconstruction requires that the Inspector General be able to cross departmental boundaries and deliver the results of his work quickly and efficiently.

Effective oversight of Iraq reconstruction requires the unique approach provided by the SIGIR. Special Inspector General Stuart Bowen described this approach in testimony before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in a hearing on August 2. SIGIR's auditors and inspectors provide on-the-spot guidance to managers as soon as problems are discovered, so corrective action can begin immediately. This ``real time'' method allows most of his reports to document not only how problems were detected, but also how they were corrected.

This method works. It should continue as long as American funds are being used for Iraq reconstruction, not terminate on some arbitrary and premature date. As of October 30, 2006, SIGIR estimates that the financial impact of its audit operations is $441 billion, its investigative operations is $20 million and its inspection operations is

$1.44 billion. It has achieved these results while costing the taxpayer $72 million. This means that for every dollar SIGIR has spent there has been a financial impact of $25 dollars, a very impressive ratio. SIGIR has also opened 256 cases thus far, and has either referred for prosecution or cleared 164. SIGIR has an impressive record. The Office has 92 open cases, with 25 of them at the Department of Justice. SIGIR has issued 73 audit reports and 65 project assessments. Its work has led to the arrests of five people, and the convictions of four, with more than $17 million in assets seized. During the current quarter, SIGIR investigators opened 20 new cases and closed 10.

There is no question that SIGIR has proven itself to be a much-needed watchdog, auditing reconstruction contracts in Iraq and spotlighting numerous cases of waste, fraud and abuse. We must keep this watchdog on the job.

In addition, SIGIR has taken on a mission that will benefit our nation long after the Iraq reconstruction efforts conclude. Through its Lessons Learned Initiative, the experience gained in Iraq--and the methods developed to track, evaluate, and correct programs--will provide critical guidance to managers and policymakers in the future. The efficient and speedy SIGIR approach would have helped the initial urgent stages of Katrina recovery immeasurably, and it will be invaluable in the aftermath of new disasters to come.

SIGIR has performed admirably in the most difficult of circumstances. Mr. Bowen and his exemplary staff have put themselves in harm's way numerous times. This incredible dedication is reflected in their work, which provides a high degree of oversight and accountability that is essential for Iraq reconstruction to succeed, and it is creating a template for success in the challenges that lie ahead. I urge my colleagues to support the Iraq Reconstruction Accountability Act. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to hold a Full Committee hearing on the Reauthorization of the Pipeline Safety Program on Thursday, November 16, 2006 at 10 a.m. in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, November 16, 2006 at 10 a.m. The purpose of this hearing is to consider the

nomination of Kevin M. Kolevar, of Michigan, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Electricity Delivery and Energy).

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on Thursday, November 16, 2006 following the first vote Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to hold a Business Meeting to consider the following agenda:

Alex Beehler to be Inspector General of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday, November 16, 2006, at 2 p.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony on ``The CHIP Program From the States' Perspective.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Thursday, November 16, 2006 at 10 a.m. in SD-430.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to hold an off-the-floor markup during the session on Thursday, November 16, 2006, to consider pending committee business (agenda attached).

Agenda

Legislation: S. 4046, Iraq Reconstruction Accountability Act of 2006.

Nominations: The Honorable James H. Bilbray to be Governor, U.S. Postal Service; Thurgood Marshall Jr. to be Governor, U.S. Postal Service; The Honorable Dan G. Blair to be Chairman, Postal Rate Commission, Stephen T. Conboy to be U.S. Marshal, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``Oversight of the Civil Rights Division'' on Thursday, November 16, 2006 at 9:30 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226. The witness list is attached.

Panel I: The Hon. Wan Kim, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC.

Panel II: Mr. Michael A. Carvin, Partner, Jones Day, Washington, DC; Mr. Ted Shaw, Director-Counsel and President, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), New York, NY; Mr. Robert N. Driscoll, Partner, Alston & Bird, LLP Washington, DC; Mr. Joseph Rich, Director of Fair Housing and Community Development, Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Washington, DC.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, November 16, 2006, at 10 a.m., for a hearing entitled ``The Defense Travel System: Boon or Boondoggle (Part 2).''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on November 16, 2006 at 10:30 a.m., to hold a closed briefing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, November 16 at 2:30 p.m.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony relating to S. 2626, a bill to establish wilderness areas, promote conservation, improve public land, and provide for high quality economic development in Washington County, Utah, and for other purposes; and S. 3772, a bill to establish wilderness areas, promote conservation, improve public land, and provide for high quality development in White Pine Nevada, and for other purposes.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management support of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on November 16, 2006, at 9:30 a.m., in open session to receive testimony on Department of Defense business systems modernization efforts.

Mr. Speaker, this bill on the floor today represents the way we hope to proceed with our colleagues in the new Congress: bipartisan cooperation on matters important to the American people.

Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee moved quickly to ensure the lame duck Congress repealed some of the mistakes made in the just-passed Defense authorization bill.

Today we begin by reinstating the remarkably candid and useful office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.

Democrats are talking to our colleagues and incoming leaders, and with the current leaders of Congress, attempting to take care of some of the most important things that have been ignored by Congress during this decade.

In the instance of trying to keep the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, we wanted to act quickly in the lame duck, so that one tiny component of the transparency we actually already have does not go away.

In the coming Congress we will be holding hearings to get a better understanding of what is actually going on in the field.

Transparency and accountability will be the watchwords of the day.

In order for this Congress to get the confidence of the American people, we must be painfully honest about everything that is going on . . . and let the chips fall where they may.

The only thing worse than wasting the taxpayer's money, is hiding that fact.

I thank Mr. Skelton for his leadership with Chairman Hunter.

Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful we are considering this legislation to extend the date for termination of the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, SIGIR. This office provides a hugely important function as a watchdog for fraud, waste, and abuse of funds intended for Iraq reconstruction programs.

The American taxpayer deserves vigorous and continuous oversight of how funds are being spent in Iraq. It is also important to the Iraqi people, for whom the American Government provided a generous package of development and reconstruction funds that have not always been spent wisely.

I have made 15 trips to Iraq and have seen firsthand the essential work done by this office. Congress clearly made a mistake in passing the fiscal year 2007 Defense Authorization Act allowing the SIGIR office to close prematurely.

This legislation will correct that mistake and also wisely require SIGIR to prepare a final forensic audit on all funds appropriated to the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund, IRRF.

As chairman of the Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, and working under the leadership of Committee Chairman Tom Davis, I have held several oversight hearings on contracting in Iraq.

We've investigated the failure to establish realistic requirements and to define contract terms and conditions, limited competition and insufficient agency oversight. Reports provided to us by SIGIR were invaluable.

We all recognize that the security situation in Iraq makes reconstruction especially difficult and dangerous. But the Government has a responsibility to the taxpayer to do all that it can to ensure that dollars are spent wisely and well.

We have a special responsibility to our soldiers and marines in Iraq. One of the most important reasons Congress appropriated money for Iraq reconstruction was to support our troops by showing the Iraqi people we wanted to help them build a new Iraq, and reduce the risk that an insurgency would develop and grow. We know the insurgency exists and sectarian violence has flared, but the importance of the projects funded through the IRFF has not diminished in the slightest.

Finally, I believe a strong watchdog office like SIGIR will help us to learn lessons about the realities of contracting in a post-conflict environment.

I am grateful my colleagues in the Senate, Susan Collins and Joseph Lieberman, offered this legislation. I also thank Mr. Skelton who offered this legislation in the House and recognized the need to continue SIGIR's mission.