Panel One of a Hearing of the National Security, Emerging Threats & International Relations Subcommittee of the House Government Reforma Committee...

Federal News Service October 5, 2004 Tuesday

HEADLINE: PANEL ONE OF A HEARING OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY, EMERGING THREATS & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE

SUBJECT: UNITED NATIONS OIL-FOR-FOOD PROGRAM

CHAIRED BY: REP. CHRIS SHAYS (R-CT)

PANEL I WITNESS: PATRICK KENNEDY, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED NATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT REFORM;

STATEMENT PROVIDED BY: CHRISTINE GRENIER (PH), REPRESENTING THE FRENCH EMBASSY

BODY:

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REP. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I don't think there is any disagreement on this committee about the importance of investigating the U.N. oil-for-food program. It is important to know how American dollars being contributed to the U.N. were spent, and how the corrupt Saddam Hussein regime ended up stealing money that should have gone to hungry people in Iraq. So I have no objection about investigating that important issue.

But I think it is equally important not only that we investigate what the U.N. does with American taxpayer money; it is equally important to investigate what the Bush administration and the United States government does with American taxpayer money. You know, Mr. Chairman, I've been on this committee for more than a few years, and I can recall very clearly that during the Clinton administration this committee held dozens upon dozens of hearings to investigate every single allegation relating to the Clinton administration, no matter how off the wall those allegations were. We investigated the Vince Foster suicide, we investigated Monica Lewinsky, the so-called TravelGate, Whitewater, ad infinitum-on and on and on. However, rather amazingly, during the Bush administration this committee has not held one substantive hearing to investigate any serious allegation against the Bush administration. And why is that important? It is important because we have a Republican administration, we have a Republican Senate, we have a Republican House. And it is the moral obligation under the Constitution of the United States that the Congress provides oversight onto any administration. Otherwise the government doesn't work. Yeah, it's easy to beat up an administration from another party-we all know that. But we as members of Congress have the responsibility to take a hard look at what any administration does, regardless of what party they are. And all over this country I think there is a growing concern that the United States Congress has abdicated its oversight responsibility. All over America people are asking why did we in fact go to war. And I know there are two sides to the issue-this committee hasn't looked at the rationale for going to war in Iraq. We haven't looked at the leak of the names of CIA agents. We haven't looked at the fact that the Medicare office was threatened-actuary-the Medicare actuary was threatened with being fired if he actually told members of Congress the truth about how much money the prescription drug program would cost. We haven't taken a look at the Cheney energy task force. And especially when we come to issues like Halliburton, we have a double responsibility. Everybody here knows that the vice schedule of the United States used to be the CEO of Halliburton. Now, I am not casting any aspersions on what has happened, but all over this country people want to know did Halliburton get a special deal: How come they got no-bid contracts? How come billions of dollars went to Halliburton? Now, how come we are not looking at that issue?

So, Mr. Chairman, what I would simply say is, yeah, let's take a hard look at what the U.N. did. And while I know it's easy to beat up on France and Germany, it might be a little bit more difficult, but maybe of more interest to the American people, to take a hard look at what goes on at the Bush administration. I yield back.

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