The Senate has unanimously approved legislation extending the term of the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction through the end of 2008, past the October 1, 2007 shutdown date called for in the recently enacted defense authorization bill.
The bill will now move to the House for approval.
Authored by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Russ Feingold, D-Wis., Norm Coleman, R-Minn., and Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., and approved as an amendment to the fiscal 2007 military construction appropriations bill, the legislation would reinstate the SIGIR’s previous termination schedule of ten months after 80 percent of funds for Iraq reconstruction have been expended.
“This office provides a $25 benefit for every dollar spent on oversight and investigations,” Sen. Collins said, adding, “It is inconceivable that we would remove this aggressive oversight while the American taxpayer is still spending billions of dollars on Iraq reconstruction projects.”
The SIGIR’s office has issued 73 audit reports and 65 project assessments, and the office’s work has resulted in the arrest of five people, and the convictions of four, with more than $17 million in assets seized, according to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee.