David Price: “I thank Ms. Schakowsky for yielding and for her good work on this amendment, the Schakowsky- Price amendment. I also…”

“I thank Ms. Schakowsky for yielding and for her good work on this amendment, the Schakowsky- Price amendment. I also want to thank Chairman Skelton for his significant steps he takes in this bill to address the vast challenges surrounding battlefield contracting. He generously worked with me to include key elements of H.R. 369, my bill regarding security contractors, and I appreciate his leadership. Very quickly, I want to highlight three additional improvements this amendment will make to language in the bill. First, it will require the departments doing the vast majority of contracting, DOD, State, USAID, to track contractor casualties. We believe over 800 contractors have been killed in Iraq and many more injured. But what's the exact toll? We do not know. Our amendment will change that. Secondly, the amendment will require these departments when appropriate to issue guidance on appropriate equipment and uniforms for contractors. And thirdly, it will require the departments to clarify how a provision inserted in last year's defense bill, which places certain contractors under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, will be implemented.”