Senator Mccaskill-focusing On Afghan Contractors Accountability

Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri has achieved some important steps in her position

as chair on the ad hoc subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight (SOCO) to improve the contracting process in Afghanistan and reach clearer guidelines for contractors.

Contractors represent more than half of the U.S. presence in the contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, at times employing more than a quarter-million people. They have performed vital tasks in support of U.S. defense, diplomatic, and development objectives. As the numbers grow, it's easy to see that without guidelines and accountability, government cannot successfully manage its contracts.

The number of contractors grows

As the deadline of 2014 approaches, contractors continue to support the mission in Afghanistan. They are there to help in a number of ways ranging from poppy field eradication, Afghan police training, building and maintaining camps and bases that house soldiers, and supplying services needed to keep the camps, vehicles, and services maintained.

As defense contractors help pave the way in Afghanistan, accountability of performance is necessary to maintain transparency and the best use of funds.

Reduce government spending and waste

Senator McCaskill believes that one way to reduce government spending is to target waste, fraud and abuse in government contracting. While reputable contracting companies in Afghanistan help push Afghanistan forward in things such as police training, there are instances of waste and inconsistencies. McCaskill, a former state auditor, is creating legislation to increase accountability throughout the contractor system to maintain the creditability of good contractors.

Focus on viable solutions

Control of contracting typically is shared by the State Department and the Department of Defense. "Too many hands in the cookie jar" result in inadequate oversight and accountability over contractors. McCaskill has since helped to improve contracting policies, procedures, and oversight activities by sponsoring legislation creating the bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting.

McCaskill, a fourth-generation Missourian, earned her law degree from the University of Missouri in Columbia. She then clerked for the Missouri Court of Appeals in Kansas City, then served as assistant prosecutor. She won a seat in the Missouri State Legislature in 1982 and chaired the Civil and Criminal Justice Committee. IN 1993 she became Jackson County's first female prosecutor followed by Missouri's Auditor in 1999. In Nov. 2006 she was the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from her state. She was selected to sit on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

by: Joshua Watson

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