Bill Clinton: “You know, our bill also requires as part of that transparency, letting the sunshine come in, that the agencies would…”

“You know, our bill also requires as part of that transparency, letting the sunshine come in, that the agencies would make public the amount of the contract, the scope of the contract, would provide information about how contractors were identified, as well as the justification and determination of the documents that led to the decision not to use full and open competition. I find that very reassuring. I do not understand why this would not be legislation we could literally pass by unanimous consent this afternoon. I don't think it is in our Government's interest nor is it in America's interest that there be any doubt at all, any shadow cast over this process so people in our own country or elsewhere can say there is something funny going on, this is not being done straight. Would the Senator agree, in addition to fulfilling what we know to be the appropriate procurement procedures, the fact that no-bid or closed-bid contracts time and time again lead to overruns, to excessive costs, that we are also, through this legislation, trying to send a warning, in a sense holding out a helping hand to the Government, to say let's do this in the open so nobody can ever go back and question motive or process with respect to what we are attempting to do with the reconstruction of Iraq?”