May 24, 2013
Two senators say there should be competitive bidding for all the contracts that are awarded as part of the $87 billion spending bill for post-war Iraq.
The proposal by Senators Susan Collins and Ron Wyden follows charges of favoritism in contracts that have been approved so far.
A subsidiary of Halliburton, the company formerly run by Vice President Cheney, has so far received about $1.2 billion worth of non-competitive work to restore Iraq's oil industry.
Collins says there should be "full and open competition" for the contracts. Wyden says the requirement would bring "accountability" for the American taxpayers.
If there isn't full competition for a particular project, the senators' proposal requires the awarding agency to provide a detailed explanation.
