Washington, DC -- U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) will hold a news conference on Friday, September 26 at 10:15 a.m. in Senate Radio-TV Gallery to discuss an amendment to the upcoming supplemental appropriations bill for Iraq. The Collins-Wyden amendment would block new Iraqi reconstruction contracts unless they are awarded through full and open competition or unless the Defense Department publicly justifies any closed-bid or sole-source contracts. In addition, the amendment would require disclosure that would enable Congress to conduct rigorous oversight of the contracting process.
The Collins-Wyden amendment comes in the wake of five months of inquiries by Wyden, Collins and others into why multiple contracts were awarded under procedures that were less than full and open.
Earlier this year Wyden, Collins and others introduced the "Sunshine in Iraq Reconstruction Contracting Act of 2003," which would require public disclosure of justifying documents for sole-source and limited-bid contracts, and won its inclusion in the Defense Appropriations bill.