[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 176 (Tuesday, December 9, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2497]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              HALLIBURTON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 8, 2003

  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, over the past two months Rep. John Dingell 
and I have written to the White House several times seeking an 
explanation for the high prices Halliburton is charging to import 
gasoline into Iraq. We have repeatedly expressed concern that 
Halliburton has been paid an average price of $2.64 per gallon to 
import millions of gallons of gasoline from Kuwait into Iraq.
  Halliburton's price is more than double what others have paid to 
import gasoline from Kuwait into Iraq, including Iraq's state-owned oil 
company, SOMO, and the Pentagon's own Defense Energy Support Center. In 
addition, independent experts I consulted have called these charges a 
``huge ripoff'' of the taxpayer.
  Gasoline imports are one of the single largest expenditures of U.S. 
reconstruction efforts in Iraq. To date, nearly $450 million has been 
spent on gasoline imports, and an additional $690 million has been 
appropriated for gasoline and other fuel imports in 2004. Literally 
hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are at stake.
  Despite these enormous costs, the White House has consistently 
refused to address this issue. The White House has refused to respond 
to our inquiries or offer any explanation for the high costs being paid 
by the taxpayer. Today, I call on the White House to immediately 
investigate this matter and respond to the concerns raised in our 
letters.

                          ____________________