Congressional Answer on Halliburton
Rep Sam Farr, Rep Jim Saxton, Senator Richard Lugar and Senator Joseph Biden have come up with an idea giving bipartisan effort a bad name. So maybe bipartisan does not fit the scenario. Three Democrats and a Republican might not meet the strict definition of bipartisan. Without even arguing the lack of merit of the two ‘companion’ bills, after introduction and being sent off to committee the glaring detail in both bills is the money. The House version authorizes $80 million for fiscal 2008 and the Senate version says $80 million PER fiscal year.
For purposes of this post, a reminder that one Billion Dollars is 1000 times larger than one Million Dollars. You say you know that? Then why was Halliburton given a no bid contract for Billions of dollars for reconstruction and Congress will now consider spending only millions of dollars of taxpayer money for what Halliburton was supposed to do? How about we get the money from Halliburton for someone else to do what they did not complete. And maybe you could consider giving all those Iraqis who are hurting a job reconstructing their country with Halliburton’s ill-gotten gains? But this point is entirely moot until the war in Iraq is successfully completed.
One other item in these bills deals with training. If the claim is that abundant resources of a skilled labor pool is available, then why do you need money for training? Is it to train those on the other end for your assumed later departure or to train the highly skilled labor you claim exists for this task?
Too many civilians have died working in a combat zone. The operations in Afghanistan are not complete and get little attention compared to Iraq. Just about everything would be better if new agendas were postponed until the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq were completed to the point that enough stability exists to proceed with reconstruction. Let’s stop the insanity, complete the missions and then tie up all the loose ends. Ok, you could start 
investigations and hearings on Halliburton et al, while the missions are being completed. Then there is the ‘wuz up’ with all that Iraqi oil that was to fund rebuilding and affording Iraqis some resources? Not to mention the millions or billions in cash missing. How about you address all that before you reinvent a civilian corps that is currently unnecessary?
Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com
Trackposted to Perri Nelson’s Website, Leaning Straight Up, and Pursuing Holiness, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
Civilian Response Corps Will Help Bring Stability
February 20th, 2007 It’s painfully clear by now that though our military is the best in the world, our ability to rebuild and stabilize countries is not. Helping nations recover from conflict or collapse takes a complex combination of political, diplomatic, development and military efforts, all in the immediate aftermath of crisis.
H.R.1084
Title: To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, and the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to build operational readiness in civilian agencies, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17] (introduced 2/15/2007) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 2/15/2007 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
- There is authorized to be appropriated $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 for personnel, education and training, equipment, and travel costs for purposes of carrying out this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
S.613
Title: A bill to enhance the overseas stabilization and reconstruction capabilities of the United States Government, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Lugar, Richard G. [IN] (introduced 2/15/2007) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 2/15/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
- There is authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year, $80,000,000 for personnel, education and training, equipment, and travel costs for purposes of carrying out this Act and the amendments made by this Act (other than the amendment made by section 5).