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GOP Kills Bill to Police Halliburton

By Bob Geiger, AlterNet. Posted June 20, 2006.


Republicans in Congress have made it clear they're willing to fight for military contractors' right to lie, cheat and defraud taxpayers.

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I suppose it's old news at this point that the Bush administration lied us into the Iraq war, and that the cost of this mess will be fully realized by the next generation when Bush leaves office with the biggest budget deficit in U.S. history.

And, while Democrats have been complaining for years about the GOP-led Congress abandoning its oversight of the executive branch's wrongdoing, a vote that took place in the Senate last week shows how the Republican desire to ignore fraud and abuse extends right into killing legislation that would help stop defense contractors from ripping off the American people.

In an effort to stop companies like Halliburton and its subsidiaries from cheating our troops and stealing from Americans, Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., introduced S.AMDT.4230 and attached it to the Defense Authorization bill currently being debated in the Senate. The bill was intended to improve contracting "by eliminating fraud and abuse and improving competition in contracting and procurement."

"I think when you are at war, when a massive quantity of money is being pushed out the door, that we ought to decide to get tough on those who would be engaged in war profiteering," said Dorgan in fighting for his amendment last week. "I dare say that never in the history of this country has so much money been wasted so quickly. And, yes, there is fraud involved, there is abuse involved, and it is the case that there is a dramatic amount of taxpayers' money that is now being wasted."

Dorgan's bill -- cosponsored by 17 Democrats and called the Honest Leadership and Accountability in Contracting Act of 2006 -- was tabled by a roll call vote of 55-43, effectively rejecting the amendment. Every single Senate Republican voted against the measure to make the contracting process honest and impose penalties on those who break the law.

And just what were the stern rules that the GOP didn't think their buddies at Halliburton should have to live with? The text of the legislation spelled out that Bush and Cheney's defense-contractor buddies would be in trouble if they did any of the following:

  • "Executes or attempts to execute a scheme or artifice to defraud the United States or the entity having jurisdiction over the area in which such activities occur."
  • "Falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact."
  • "Makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or representations, or makes or uses any materially false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry."
  • "Materially overvalues any good or service with the specific intent to excessively profit from the war or military action."

The measure called for those found guilty of violating the law to be imprisoned for up to 20 years and be subject to a fine of up to $1,000,000 -- a drop in the bucket for these guys -- or a percentage of their ill-gotten gains.


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Hey "feller"!!
Posted by: russianblue1 on Jun 20, 2006 8:36 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Please tell us how much you support the troops! PLEEEASE!!! You wouldn't be the one who put the fan in the room and pocketed the rest of the money, are you? Subsidizing your $5.15/hour pay trolling? You should be SO proud of your political party-wouldn't want to put an undue burden on Halliburton, now, would you?

I bet this is exactly what Jesus would do!

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» Learn internet protocol Posted by: russianblue1
» call your bluff Posted by: feller
» RE: call your bluff Posted by: maxpayne
» Since You Asked..... Posted by: feller
» RE: Since You Asked..... Posted by: Drclaw
» RE: Since You Asked..... Posted by: ronatchig
» Get rid of most government Posted by: Lincoln fan
Retirement Funds...
Posted by: aussidawg on Jun 20, 2006 8:56 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Humm . I wonder if any of those fee's being collected by Halliburton, et al are finding their way back to Bushco's retirement (impeachment) fund(s)?

If so, I suggest they keep it quiet as they will need all they can get to buy necessities at the prison commissary AFTER they are released from solitary.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: retirement Funds... Posted by: starvinmarvy
» RE: retirement Funds... Posted by: aussidawg
» RE: retirement Funds... Posted by: Prophit
» Hey Prophit !!! Posted by: vitocaputo
» RE: etirement Funds... Posted by: famouspipeliner
Halliburton is defrauding the American people
Posted by: day0527 on Jun 20, 2006 9:44 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I am a retired Government Contract Specialist, with many years of soliciting, awarding, managing, and auditing government contracts. The Halliburton contract is probably the least desirable type contract authorized under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), called cost type contracts, because the advantage under this type arrangement is always with the contractor, not the government. (The contractor's fee, added after costs are calculated, is generally the profit.) Why? Because the contractor charges the government what it costs to perform under the contract. As such, there is little incentive for the contractor to control costs and can, if the contractor is crooked, "hide" tremendous amounts of fraud, waste, and abuse and reap that as extra profits. (A can of soda, for example, could be billed at $5 a can, with all the hidden costs, probably fraudulent, added in.) Secondly, I would wager that there is little actual management and oversight under the Halliburton contract and audits are probably minimal. Results (i.e., discrepancies, fraud, waste, etc.) of any audit will probably be "hidden" under the guise of "National Security," a favorite ploy of this administration. Thirdly, the contract is probably rife with unauthorized payments, over payments, double billing, etc. And again, probably not reported even if found. Finally, it is highly doubtful that there was significant justification, for a long term, sole source contract as required by the FAR. In sum, the Halliburton contract is probably just a bundle of paper, not worth what it is printed on. My final comment is a little off the subject, but I would say that anyone who thinks Cheny, a retired Halliburton employee currently drawing compensation from that firm, had nothing to do with the award is living in another world. The American people are being fleeced big time, and I really mean BIG TIME! The Republicans know it and that is WHY they are blocking any oversight efforts. Their position on this issue shows where they align themselves.

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Cheney's retirement fund
Posted by: Christie on Jun 20, 2006 2:29 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Cheney is now worth 96 million.
Wonder how much he gets to take with him, you know,
after the pacemakers can no longer do the job.

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am i the only cynic?
Posted by: mtngoat on Jun 20, 2006 2:40 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
You all sound surprised to learn that this fraud has been occurring with the tacit endorsement of the administration. Halliburton and others like them have been ripping off the government for years. Horror stories of $1000 toilet seats excluded, this is (and has been) a serious issue for years. Whenever you have a government run by the wealthy, they will look out for their friends. Not to mention the revolving door between the corporate world and government in this country, which creates an environment where "our" representatives are essentially lobbying for jobs at these corporations when they leave public office (or promoting nepotism by getting jobs for their children and family members a la young GW's early oil career secured by daddy Bush's connections).

I truely appreciate alternet for bringing yet another money-grubbing corporate abuse / govt complicity story to the light of day, but i wish someone would come forth with some good ideas for reforming the system. "Good ideas" meaning feasible. The government cannot be wholesale disbanded (sorry feller), and the last thing we need is another token law with no enforcement power behind it. What can we do? That would be an article worth reading.

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» Paper Ballots our only chance Posted by: Christie
» RE: am i the only cynic? Posted by: Drclaw
And guess ........
Posted by: Falang on Jun 20, 2006 5:59 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
And guess who will have to pay for that and for how long?

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Supporting the troops, are they??
Posted by: Tom Degan on Jun 21, 2006 2:00 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Why doesn't the American public know about this? Why isn't it being reported on all the news networks and in every major newspaper in the country?

If this nation is stupid enough to allow these fucking bastards to retain control of congress in November, they'll deserve everything that happens to them. I have not one drop of sympathy for an electorate so jaw droppingly stupid as to allow this situation to transpire. You get the government you deserve, kiddies! All that these disgusting pieces of shit have to do is mention the alarm bell terms like "gay marriage" or "abortion" and like Pavlov's dogs, stupid Americans by the millions go into lock step! Lemmings into the sea.

Support the troops? Oh really? The hypocracy of these people is absolutely mind numbing!

The only really good thing that will come from the inevitable socio-economic catastrophe will be the joy of watching the suffering of the right-wing half-wits, the "ditto heads" who made it all happen. THAT'S going to be beautiful!

The American people had better wake the hell up if they know what's good for them.....What am I saying? Of course they don't know what's good for them. They never have. They never will.

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
http://tomdegan.blogspot.com/

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here a crook, there a crook...
Posted by: rsaxto on Jun 21, 2006 4:05 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Washington DC is now here a crook, there a crook, everywhere a crook, crook. The crooks run the white house and the senate and the reps and the supreme court. Never in human history has more money and more freedom been stolen from the people and their descendents than by the cheney/bush gang. Impeach them now before they totally destroy America and most of the rest of the world.

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re cheney's retirement fund sickofsleaze
Posted by: ladybug1@carrollsweb.com on Jun 21, 2006 4:49 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Is THAT all!!!? or is that not counting his off-shore rainy day fund?

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» Politicians are Cheap Posted by: gar
» RE: Politicians are Cheap Posted by: Lincoln fan
» RE: Politicians are Cheap Posted by: aussidawg
Hahahaha, yeah, I think that one is at $37 million........
Posted by: Prophit on Jun 21, 2006 5:09 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
.... that was his exit bonus from Halliburton, which shows you back then what was going to happen if they won this election. Cheney runs the show there (better known as "puppetmaster" for his control over GW and his addled and half working brain.

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The fascist media will bury this story.
Posted by: shangrilalad on Jun 21, 2006 5:36 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Republicans aren’t a political party, they are a fascist criminal cabal, and they are so confident of winning all future elections that they don’t even bother to conceal their criminal activities any longer.

Why should they worry, they control the media and chances are slim and none that you will hear this story reported by the “LIBERAL MEDIA.”

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Halliburton must be handing out stock options to Republicans
Posted by: sausage on Jun 21, 2006 6:53 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
That's one thing I wish we could get a look at, politicians' stock portfolios. Look, nobody really does any "work" anymore, at least the rich guys, they just buy and sell stock and stock options.

Halliburton's stock is doing quite well right now, thank you. And if every Republican Senator has a few hundred shares, what's he or she going to care if the company's profits are obtained fraudulently. Hey, it's not as if it's their money. It's ours!

So until the public can see what stocks are in a politicians portfolio nothing's going to change. That goes for Democrats, too.

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Dorgan for President 2008
Posted by: plantland on Jun 21, 2006 11:13 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This guy is really looking out for the averge American.

He was against putting missle shield sites in ND, even though some locals wanted to reap the advantages, because he thought the Stars Wars defense idea was a boondoggle.

He and Senator Byrd are trying to protect workers rather than going along with the Senate and agribusiness's plans to keep wages down through an immigration amnesty. Dorgan and Byrd were in the minority of Democrtic senators- the bill approved will also provide for all siblings, parents, and children of those amnestied to be sponsored as well.

Dorgan seems to be in the Proxmire tradition of examining the costs and consequences rather than the political fallout of actions

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» RE: Dorgan for President 2008 Posted by: rudystahrman
» RE: Dorgan for President 2008 Posted by: peacefulaim
» RE: Bu$h Cheney et al Should Just Posted by: peacefulaim
ECLECTICIST, S. JIM RODRIGUEZ
Posted by: SJR505 on Jun 24, 2006 6:01 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
For Americans that are surprised about this " newest revelation " about how our gifted and patriotic government cronies, organizations, neocoms, and elitest - pride of our rich and famous, the statements begs the question : "Where have you been -a desert island, in a cave, undeneath the ocean or planet...???

This continuing raping of all Americans' resources and assets from our very own 535 members of congress, Bush43 and company remind me of a sex metaphor : "... in the world of sex, using a feather is exotic; but using the whole chicken - that's kinky(Jim Hightower)... And , not to exclude other metaphors, remember the military adage : ..."B-O H I C A"

S=JIM+RODRIGUEZ+++ECLECTICIST SEEKER+++

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I found out that a friend of mine...
Posted by: Roverton on Jun 24, 2006 9:54 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
has stock in Halliburton. I told him that they're ripping off the USA. He said "Well, you WISH you had the dividends and income I'm collecting for doing basically nothing..."

I saw in that moment what a creep he was. I told him I was done with him as a friend. He said "Wow, you Libs are really judgemental..." I told him I no longer care what he thinks. I refuse to let the STUNNINGLY ignorant define my take on life.

I got a call from him the other day to "Just check in" on me. He doesn't know how to admit he's been as wrong as a man can get. He tried to get my friendship back, and might yet.

It will take him being a better man, not a moral weakling. I choose to spend my ever-more prescious time with the people whose values I respect.

He calls alot now. He knows he screwed up. Either way, he's made me define MY terms. In an odd way, I owe him that debt, but I now refuse to accept the fleecing of the nation as "Typical business practice". Cynicicism is the inherent mistrust of others.

Idealists have always been the beacons of every great moment in mankind's betterment.

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AS LONG AS THE DEPUBLICAN, REPUBLICRAT 'TWO PARTY'
Posted by: SamFox on Jun 24, 2006 11:59 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
sytem stays intact, the USA will continue down the road to their new world order agenda. As long as the media focuses only on the R-Conservs & D-Liberals and continues failing to call for a NEW party that is not controlled by the NWO crowd we will be stuck with the same old choice: NWO Repubs or NWO Dems. Sure the platforms are differant, but as Mr. Bush & Newt's Contract With America has proven there is no real differance in their actions.

Media focus on only the two paries is no surprise. I think they are controlled by NWO proponants also. That is why little is offered in the way of soloution that calls US back toward true Constitutional Government.

I like Ann Coulter. I agree with most of what she says about Libs. But much of her writing applies equally to Conserv-Repubs. She loudly proclaimes her views but has she mentioned the DESPERATE NEED FOR A THIRD PARTY OPTION in the USA? In my mind her loud rhetoric helps keep the 'debate' focused ONLY on Libs and Conservs. She makes provocitive statements that give the Libs fodder for reply, she talks back, the fight is on! the focus controlled by media, while none of them offer a souloution to the so called two parties that are BOTH on the path to erasing US borders to put US into a union like the EU. Goodbye US sovereinty, hello NWO!!

She is probably part of the controlled opposition...

SamFox

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pnsuitec
Posted by: pnsuitec on Jun 25, 2006 5:00 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It seems that the major difference between dictatorships and American democracy can best be illustrated by a simple comparison of the two systems: Under the rulership of a dictator, you get no choice about who governs. In the US, however, we are allowed to choose our leaders from a seemingly inexhaustible list of scammers, thieves, and psychopaths. "Of the people, by the people, and for the people" may not be perfect, but at least we get to choose who will slit our throats and enslave our children.

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