Charles Skelton: “I happen to agree with the en bloc amendments put forward by the chairman. We have examined them thoroughly and…”

“I happen to agree with the en bloc amendments put forward by the chairman. We have examined them thoroughly and discussed them thoroughly. I think they are certainly worthy of passing. However, if I may comment on other amendments, much has been said about the contractor situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. I would like at this moment to make reference to two amendments that were adopted in the committee that were passed out onto the floor, and I would like to make reference to them now, two outstanding amendments. The gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper) had an amendment that requires the chairman or ranking member of the Committee on Armed Services, the Secretary of Defense to provide copies of contract documents within 14 days to the committee, and it also allows greater transparency in the contracting system, particularly when we have been having so many problems in Iraq and elsewhere. This is critical to our oversight responsibility, and I compliment the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper). There was another amendment that was adopted in the committee that we should make reference to today offered by the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie), which requires guidance previously recommended by the GAO on how to manage contractors that support deployed forces.”