Dennis Kucinich: “2 weeks ago, Kellogg, Brown & Root, the engineering and construction division of Halliburton, was granted a contract to…”

“2 weeks ago, Kellogg, Brown & Root, the engineering and construction division of Halliburton, was granted a contract to put out Iraqi oil fires. This contract was awarded without competitive bidding. The contract also contained no set time limit or cost limit. This means that U.S. taxpayers will have to pay for whatever Halliburton chooses to charge; that is, whether they are the prime contractor or a sub-prime contractor. There is danger to the taxpayers when contracts are awarded without competitive bidding. USAID, which gave out the contract, stated there was no competitive bidding for this contract because the job involved a ``complex emergency'' and ``national security'' issues. According to the Federal acquisition regulations and AID acquisition regulations, such waivers exist. Okay, maybe that is understandable. But what about contracts for the postwar reconstruction of Iraq? The uncontested contract acquisition of Kellogg, Brown & Root to put out Iraqi oil fires raises serious concerns over the administration's continued ties with big oil. The fact that the Department of Defense's Army Corps of Engineers did not conduct competitive bidding for this contract implies that an uncomfortably cozy relationship still exists between Halliburton and the administration. Also, given there is no time limit or cost limit, it raises further concern that the contractor could increase the costs unchecked.…”