Louise Slaughter: “We are seeing a trend where the Pentagon is contracting out services at a higher rate than we have ever seen before. A…”

“We are seeing a trend where the Pentagon is contracting out services at a higher rate than we have ever seen before. A recent study by the Brookings Institute found that there is one contractor for every 10 soldiers in Iraq. In fact, it has been widely reported that the USA began secretly soliciting bids from a limited pool of contractors even before the war started. Let me say that again. They were secretly soliciting bids from a limited pool of contractors before the war started. Whether one agrees or disagrees, as I do, with this trend, we should all be troubled that many of these contracts are being awarded on a no-bid or sole-source basis. Contracts to repair and rebuild Iraq should not be the spoils of war. The awarding of no-bid or sole-source contracts to companies with known ties to prominent executive branch officials certainly gives that impression. We should all be concerned that the pool of engineering and construction firms considered for the $680 million contract to rebuild Iraq's power grid and the water system and airport were limited to seven companies. These contractors collectively contributed $306 million to Federal election campaigns.”