Webb: Time for a Modern Day Truman Commission

Webb Demands Accountability for Halliburton and Other Defense Contractors

Washington, DC-Senator Jim Webb called for greater transparency and accountability in defense contracting today during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the U.S. Army's administration of its Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) contract with KBR.

KBR, initially a subsidiary of the Halliburton Corporation, has received more than $20 billion under its LOGCAP contract, making it one of the largest service contracts ever awarded to a single contractor.

Today's hearing followed numerous audits documenting KBR's inflated cost estimates and excessive, unnecessary costs in providing logistical support, including food, transport and lodging to U.S. military forces operating in Iraq.  In Webb's view, the problems associated with KBR go well beyond a single company's performance.

"This is not simply an Army problem, and it's not simply a DOD problem," Webb said.  "It is a national problem that raises serious concerns about war profiteering and the proper use of civilians in a war zone."

Webb related how Senator Harry S. Truman, beginning in 1941, documented waste and fraud in defense industries, leading to the creation of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program. The so-called Truman Committee is credited with saving American taxpayers billions of dollars during World War II and uncovering faulty military equipment that would have caused the death of U.S. service members.

"As Truman revealed," Webb said, "there is a natural tendency toward corporate excess.  We need a proper balance restored in the system. Truman worked very hard to put accountability back into the corporate process. He held extensive hearings, over a period of years, and the country was better off as a result. We need a similar effort today."

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