The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee examined the final analysis of a multi-year investigation into wartime contracting, which found an urgent need to reform the contracting system. The investigation conducted by the Congressionally-mandated Commission on Wartime Contracting spent three years examining waste, fraud and abuse of government contractors in war zones, specifically in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Co-chair of the Commission, former U.S. Rep. Chris Shays, said the amount of fraud in contracting is abundant and that those committing fraud are committing “treasonous actions.” The Commission found in their final report, "Transforming Wartime Contracting: Controlling Costs, Reducing Risks,” up to $60 billion in taxpayers’ dollars have been wasted.
The Commission also found that at least half of the Americans involved in the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan are contractors. Chair of the Oversight Committee Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) said during Tuesday’s hearing that the U.S. is “growing more and more reliant on contractors” in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As the U.S. military leaves Iraq and transitions responsibility to the Department of State, the State Dept. is relying on government contractors for development, reconstruction and security.
The bipartisan eight-member Commission on Contracting looked into the role, the cost and the risk of contractors in combat zones and during reconstruction phases.