mr. speaker , i thank the gentlewoman from new york ( ms. slaughter ) xz4003780 for yielding me time . 
mr. speaker , i rise to oppose any rule that does not allow for consideration of an amendment to investigate the government contracts with regard to our operations in iraq and afghanistan . 
this supplemental that we are talking about under the rule is $ 82 billion in additional spending , bringing it to almost $ 300 billion for spending on combat operations , occupation and support for our military personnel . 
congress rightfully is trying to meet its operational and technical and equipment needs of our troops . 
but it also has to ensure that these funds are properly managed and that they are monitored , and in that regard , we have been largely silent in this congress . 
we should make no mistake about it , there is more than enough reasons to be careful and to scrutinize the procurement process . 
the center for strategic and international studies made an analysis and said as little as 27 cents of every dollar spent on iraqi reconstruction has actually filtered down to projects benefiting iraqis . 
taxpayers for common sense cited a kpmg study . 
it said that the commander 's emergency response program , which is a program designed to allow u.s. military officers to quickly fund small reconstruction projects , maintain little documentation on how tax dollars were spent : 42 cases worth , $ 13 billion , where there were no contracts on file ; 142 cases totaling $ 40 million , where there was no proof that the work was even done . 
these are only a few of the examples . 
we have a situation where it is reported by bbc news that transparency international warns that post-war iraq reconstruction is in danger of becoming the biggest corruption scandal in history . 
they said there is evidence of high levels of corruption in post-war iraq , and it is critical of the united states ' handling of reconstruction programs . 
and they said they favor a small number of large firms who they awarded public contracts , and they were all too secretive . 
we have report after report of halliburton and other corporations not having enough oversight . 
the wall street journal reports that the pentagon auditors are questioning $ 212 million that halliburton company billed washington to deliver fuel to iraq saying that it may well constitute overbilling . 
this criticism continues to go on about sole-source contracts and other issues that ought to be explored . 
we can have substantive differences about the merits of the way we are conducting military policy . 
but there ought to be unanimous agreement in this congress ensuring our role that taxpayer dollars are effectively and judiciously spent . 
we should establish a select committee . 
that is why the gentleman from iowa ( mr. leach ) xz4002360 and i filed a truman commission measure that should be included as an amendment to this bill . 
it would put a select committee to study , among other things , the bidding , the contracting , the auditing standards , and issuance of government contracts , the oversight procedures , and the forms of payment and safeguards against money laundering , the accountability of contractors and government officials involved in procurement , and the allocation of contracts to foreign companies and small businesses . 
yes , we modelled it after the original truman commission . 
in 1941 , that truman committee saved about $ 15 billion in taxpayer money ; 432 public hearings ; 1 , 800 witnesses . 
mr. speaker , the american people have a right to have oversight done by this body . 
it is our job to do it . 
it is demanded by it . 
we should craft a rule that protects this amendment and ensures the public resources are safeguarded . 
the truman committee was also unanimously respected for its focus on fact-finding and its refusal to succumb to partisan considerations . 
mr. leach and i share that view and believe that congressional oversight of these huge sums should not be a partisan issue . 
critics may say that there is no need to create a select committee when congress has standing committees to perform this role . 
regrettably , those standing committees have not vigorously exercised their institutional oversight role . 
while mr. shays 's subcommittee on national security has attempted to draw attention to this issue , the full government reform committee has convened only four hearings on the iraq contracting process . 
similarly , the house armed services committee touched on this issue during a june 2004 readiness subcommittee hearing , however -- beyond that -- they have not pursued the issue . 
to that point , highlighting the need for such a select committee , the ranking democrat on the house armed services committee , ike skelton , has co-sponsored the bill from which this amendment is based . 
critics may disqualify this amendment on a technicality , suggesting it authorizes on an appropriations bill . 
to that , i would respectfully point out that there are other provisions of this bill -- some of which strengthen the underlying text -- that include authorizing language . 
i would ask that this committee craft a rule that protects this amendment and ensures that our ever-scarce public resources will be safeguarded . 
