Intelligence Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2009

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chairman, as you know, bringing accountability and transparency to contracting has been a priority of mine, and I have worked to ensure that companies that we award contracts to are held responsible for any abuses. I believe we must make certain that the intelligence community is not using U.S. taxpayer dollars to enter into or renew contracts with companies that may be engaging in serious abuses of law and violence toward civilians and whose actions go unpunished.

Around the world our country is contracting with private companies that employ individuals who do not wear the badge of the United States but whose behavior has, on numerous occasions, severely damaged the credibility and security of our military and harmed our relationship with other governments. Perhaps the most egregious example came on September 16, 2007, when private security contractors employed by Blackwater Worldwide killed 17 civilians and wounded many more in downtown Baghdad. No one has been held accountable for this.

At a minimum, we need a more transparent process to hold private contractors accountable and more information in order to understand their impact on our Intelligence Community, our armed forces and our larger objectives.

I thank the chairman for including language prohibiting the use of contractors for interrogation, as well as a provision requiring a comprehensive report on the use of contractors in the intelligence community.

If I may ask the chairman in a brief colloquy if the chairman will work with me to include additional language in the conference report calling for a report that examines the extent of criminal activity among intelligence community contractors and assesses the effects of hiring contracting companies that are responsible for serious legal violations.

Mr. REYES. Will the gentlewoman yield?

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Yes.

Mr. REYES. The answer is yes. I will be happy to work with you in conference.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I am happy to support this legislation.

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