Frank Lautenberg: “I rise to discuss unanswered questions regarding the no-bid contract that the administration awarded Halliburton last…”

“I rise to discuss unanswered questions regarding the no-bid contract that the administration awarded Halliburton last year to operate Iraq's oil infrastructure. As my colleagues know, I have been outspoken in my criticism of this no-bid contract awarded by the Bush administration to the company that the Vice President led for 5 years as CEO. This one contract alone has cost the U.S. taxpayers $2.2 billion. That is $2.2 billion in public funds that were given to a company through a contract on which no other companies were allowed to bid. Recognizing this condition, we had a unanimous vote one night in the Senate, when it was decided that we would no longer ever, in connection with the Iraq war, issue any no-bid contracts. We forced that out into the open, even though it was the intention of the Republican majority to keep it from being discontinued, the no-bid contract business. To make matters worse, the Vice President maintains a continuing financial relationship with Halliburton, even as the company reaps the benefit of multibillion-dollar contracts from the Bush-Cheney administration. I believe it is ethically inappropriate, but the Vice President's response to criticism has been to dismiss the concerns with questionable statements.”