Kerry/Dorgan legislation to punish war profiteering.

[Mass]

http://news.bostonherald.com/politics/view.bg?articleid=183088

Kerry legislation would punish profiteers in Iraq rebuilding
By Emma Ratliff
Boston Herald City Editor


With millions already wasted in the Iraq reconstruction effort, Sen. John F. Kerry will push today for federal legislation to punish war profiteers, root out cronyism in post-war contract awards and give new protections to whistleblowers.

“America’s sons and daughters are asked to make the greatest sacrifice in Iraq, but the administration asks nothing of their friends at Halliburton and other big corporations,” Kerry said in a statement to the Herald. Halliburton has come under fire along with other corporate general contractors for inflating the costs of their services in the Iraq rebuilding effort.


The legislation will be introduced by Kerry and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) at a noon press conference in Washington, D.C.
...
“Our bill will finally demand transparency and oversight into rebuilding contracts in Iraq,” said Kerry. “It’s time this administration starts honoring our troops and playing fair with American taxpayers.” The bill’s goals are to:

• Punish war profiteers and set penalties of 20 years in prison and $1 million in fines for profiteering.
  
• Cracking down on corporate cheats and restore a rule that prohibits awarding federal contracts to companies that exhibit a pattern of overcharging the government.
  
• Require full disclosure of contracting abuses, ban corporate cronyism in federal war contracting and require federal agencies to conduct stiffer contract oversight.
  
• Make it harder for agencies to retaliate against whistleblowers.
  

[blm]

1. Great news - this is long past due, but it never would've been possible in last Congress.

Three cheers for Dorgan and Kerry.

[Qanisqineq]

2. it's about time they were able to do this

Dorgan has been talking about it forever. That is, when he isn't telling stories about Huffy bicycles. :D

[blm]

3. What a difference a majority makes.

And Dorgan is a GREAT dollar counter when he focuses on the numbers.

[Qanisqineq]

5. I really like Dorgan

I may not agree with all his votes but he just seems like a geniune person and caring and just plain nice. Someone that cares about his job and the US. I might be a little biased because he is from my homestate. I haven't read his book yet but would like to soon.

[Inuca]

12. 100% agree

though he is not my senator :-).

[BlueJac]

4. Sorry, Bush will not sign a law like that.....

I just can't see it from the worlds biggest criminal. I wish he would but shit we are still stuck in the mud in the Senate. We can all thank Trader Joe.

[karynnj]

11. If Kerry and Drogan get this passed

in the Senate and a parallel bill passes the house, this bill will be harder to veto than the stem cell bill was. This will be a tough bill for Republicans to vote against.

Drogan and Kerry will be a powerful team on this. This is what a Senator should do.

[Daylin Byak]

32. You know what, let him

Let him veto this long overdue piece of legislation, in fact every thing the Dems pass and reqires his signature let him veto all of it it will show to the public that Bush is a total idiot that went back on his word when he said that he will work with the new "Democrat Congress".

My hats off to Bryon Dorgan and John Kerry.

[mod mom]

6. $ 1 million is too low. The penalty needs to exceed the gross profits that are

actually made. They should also lose the ability to hold contracts w the government for at least 5 years.

[Blackhatjack]

7. Agreed on the amount. But let's pass it first, we can amend the amount later...n/t

[NewJeffCT]

10. It's likely $1 million for each instance of profiteering

So, if Halliburton signed a $1 billion contract to provide 20 different services, they could be fined 20 or more times for that one contract.

[mod mom]

13. So as you suggest $20 million on a billion dollar contract will be seen by these

greedy bastards as a cost of doing business. That why I suggest upping the amount (perhaps a % of the contract) as well as preventing future contracts for a period of time. We need to STOP this despicable profiteering, and although we see a million (or even 20) as a huge amount, we have to make the risk greater than the possible rewards to those you don't. Just my 2 cents.

:hi:

[NewJeffCT]

14. You could have no fines

However, if the CEOs of these companies thought the threat of jail was for real, there would be no fraud, no war profiteering. Unfortunately, with Team Bush in charge, these CEOs realize they can literally get away with murder and not pay the consequences...

The CEO of Halliburton wouldn't care if the fine was $3 billion if he was confident he wouldn't go to jail and that collection of the fine wouldn't be enforced by the White House.

[karynnj]

19. There are already laws that he can go to jail under

[NewJeffCT]

22. Yes, there are laws

But, if the CEOs thought they were above the law, they wouldn't care. Dick Cheney did business with terrorist states while CEO of Halliburton because he knew the chances of him getting caught were slim.

Same thing with illegal immigration. Crack down on the heads of the big companies that hire them (like Wal-Mart and those agri-business companies) and you'd see the problem resolved rather quickly.

[blm]

16. I think the news STORY from the fine is what ends up hurting companies.

But, I agree with you on the loss of eligibility. I remember part of Kerry's platform was to end all government contracts with companies charged with felonies and corporations that evaded taxes through various loopholes like having foreign headquarters.

He also called for 1/3 of all government contracts to be directed to small businesses.

What a difference a president makes.

[TheMadMonk]

39. Recovery of the stolen $ + an equal amount as the fine.

And forget jail time. If you want to really hurt people who cream their jeans over power, ban them from ever again sitting on a board of directors or holding voting stock in any company.

[BlooInBloo]

8. Is it retroactive? Or merely going forward?

[MH1]

21. Some things cannot legally be retroactive.

I'm guessing most of this cannot be retroactive, unless it is enforcing laws that were already on the books.

Does anyone know if a penalty for something that is already on the books as a crime, can be increased retroactively?

[Leopolds Ghost]

25. I think yes, but only if the person hasn't been convicted yet.

Remember, technically these are maximum recommended penalties -- judge or jury set the actual penalties on a case basis.

[hwmnbn]

9. I've always maintained that profits.....

were the reason for this war. How do you "lose" $9 billion dollars in cash on pallets?!! And that's not counting the no-bid contracts, and mercenary force. Bremer's "Provisional Authority" has to be the biggest scam of all.

[mod mom]

15. "How do you "lose" $9 billion dollars in cash on pallets?!" You shift it to stealing

an election!

[Leopolds Ghost]

26. They fell off the back of the C-150.

Should Kerry be investigating that, or does he already know the money went to quote-unquote "black ops" (i.e. payoffs for Bush cronies in the black on black world of defense contracting)?

[Divernan]

40. Hence the "Money Trumps Peace" comment by W.

nt

[rox63]

17. This is excellent!

Kudos to Kerry and Dorgan. :patriot: I hope the repukes don't try to filibuster this one. If they do, it'll show the voters just how slimy they really are.

[Mass]

18. News conference today.

Senate Indian Affairs Chairman Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Senate Small Business Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass. - News conference
Senate Indian Affairs Chairman Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Senate Small Business Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass.

**New

TIME: 12 noon

EVENT: Senate Indian Affairs Chairman Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Senate Small Business Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass. hold a news conference to announce introduction of legislation to reform federal contracting rules. Introduction of the bill comes on the heels of a report released late last month by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction that found "tens of millions of dollars in wasteful spending in Iraq reconstruction aid."

DATE: February 15, 2007

LOCATION: Senate Radio/TV Gallery, U.S. Capitol

CONTACT: Barry Piatt or Fran Benton, 202-224-2551

[wryter2000]

20. Now, THAT'S what I'm talking about

Let's get these bastards on the record as voting FOR war profiteering. Let them run in 2008 on that.

And I'm with the person who says that, even though the fine may not be high enough to hurt them, the mere publicity will.

:bounce:

[confludemocrat]

23. This sounds great. Dorgan always doing the max in his power

He's from a conservative state, but he extends himself to take on an issue that none of the big name Dems have touched or said much about speaks volumes. Getting Kerry involved as a big name Dem is smart. And this is good politics. Kudos to both of them.

[ooglymoogly]

24. you betcha!!!!!! kr nt

[ProSense]

27. This is awesome!

Please co-sponsor Senator Kerry's bill to end the occupation of Iraq.

Until the war ends, people will continue to die and essential programs that benefit the living will continue to suffer budget cuts.

[ray of light]

28. I like that he's doing this as well as setadeadline.com

If he needs signers for that too...I'm there!

Randi Rhodes has been talking about the need for this type of thing for at least 2 years now. (Maybe longer, I don't know. I wasn't able to get her station until 05.)

[ohtransplant]

29. Senator Kerry often makes me wish he was in the race.

This and all the other fights he's taken up in the new Congress show me his mettle. These are the things leaders do.

[karynnj]

31. Me too - but he really seems energized and looks and sounds great

It really had to be a burden running in the current gotcha environment. Some of these things are stuff he really worked on for both 2004 and for 2008.

It was clear that the Faneuil Hall speeches were the part of what he was going to run on. It's sad, because those speeches - 100% Kerry were great. (They are still on Johnkerry.com under multi-media.) I've seen echoes to his words in many of the candidates - but for me, none are even close yet. I suspect that he planned one (or more) on economics and small businesses.

In addition, staying in the Senate, he will clearly continue keeping both Republicans and Democrats honest.

[ohtransplant]

33. Over and over...

it seems like something happens that makes me think to myself, "Kerry was right...again."

"but for me, none are even close yet" Not me either.

I'm still disappointed he's not in but I couldn't be prouder of his efforts on behalf of all Americans. He really is the real deal.

[babylonsister]

30. Drip, drip, drip. Thank you, Kerry and Dorgan! Who says Dems are

not doing anything?

Drip, drip, drip...

[lonestarnot]

34. DAMN IT! I WANT TO REC THIS THREAD 50 TIMES!

[Straight Shooter]

35. This will be one less incentive to go to war against Iran.

Transparency. Imagine that. Cheney must be grinding his teeth in his sleep over Kerry's determination to put an end to the rampant greed of the bush administration.

:patriot:

[politicasista]

36. K&R

:kick:

[Time for change]

37. But if this law passes

there will be no reason to continue the war.

[Unbowed]

38. 20 yrs in prison and a million in fines

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people.

Good for Kerry and Dorgan.

:kick: it up a notch.

[enough]

41. k&r

[Qanisqineq]

42. DORGAN coming up on STEPHANIE MILLER

to talk about this. I don't know exactly when, but she announced it at the beginning of the show.

[confludemocrat]

43. Dorgan is the MAN on this. Been on the case for a couple of years now

always with a bigger name Dem fronting for the effort, Leahy previously. This is exactly the kind of issue raising that will carry the Dems to an even bigger 2008 win especially if coupled w/ investigations in House and Senate.

[ProSense]

44. More details

here.

[libodem]

45. Bring it on!

Oh hell, yeah! That's what I'd like to see some real teeth to bite back with.