Ham on Wry Award--Wartime Contracting Commission Urges Significant Reform

The Wartime Contracting Commission, a bipartisan legislative commission created by Congress in 2008, presented their final report to Congress Wednesday, August 31st.  More than two and a half years in the making, the commission found monumental waste and corruption in a system lacking sufficient oversight.  Estimates range between $31 and $60 billion in losses over the past decade in Iraq and Afghanistan.due to lax oversight of contractors, poor planning, inadequate competition, and corruption.  The Washington Post quoted Commission member, Dov Zakheim, Pentagon Comptroller in George W. Bush's first term. “I personally believe that the number is much, much closer to $60 billion.”  And we wonder why Congress can't balance a budget.  Members of Congress are far more worried about re-election than they are in paying attention to expenditures.

Christopher Shays and Michael Thibault, Commission Co-chairs

The commission’s 15 recommendations include creating an inspector general to monitor war zone contracting and operations, appointing a senior government official to improve planning and coordination among federal agencies, reducing the use of private security companies, and carefully monitoring contractor performance.
“If these recommendations are not implemented, there ought to be a Hall of Shame,” said Michael Thibault, co-chairman of the commission. “There’s an opportunity at hand.” (from the Associated Press) (photo at right by Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

Ham on Wry wonders what Congress will do with this information.  The commission recommended that the bipartisan debt reduction panel study its proposals and consider them in its deliberations.  I see little hope of substantive change occurring unless citizens demand it.  Members of Congress have displayed little ingenuity or commitment toward creating legislation that will actually improve the lot of ordinary Americans thus far, but adopting the commission's recommendations would go far in improving the budget deficit.  Add that to Warren Buffet's demand that Congress stop coddling the uber-wealthy, and it would definitely go a long way toward closing the gap.  It might even raise the under 13% approval rating the last poll reflected of Congress.  Maybe with enough knocks to the head, the entrenched will suddenly "get it."