David Price: “I am pleased to rise as the initiator of this legislation to speak in favor of a long overdue solution to a problem with…”

“I am pleased to rise as the initiator of this legislation to speak in favor of a long overdue solution to a problem with serious implications for our military and for our national security. Put simply, this legislation ensures that the U.S. Government has the legal authority to prosecute crimes committed by U.S. contractor personnel working in war zones. My bill would do two simple things: it would expand the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, MEJA, to cover all contractors operating in war zones, and it would beef up the Department of Justice's enforcement of MEJA. Madam Chairman, the word 'accountability' is used a lot in this Chamber. Let me tell you what I think accountability should mean in this context. It should mean that we have the tools at our disposal to ensure that the criminal behavior of men and women working in our name and on our dime does not in any way damage our goals and objectives.”