[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 16, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H8139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CONTRACTOR ACCOUNTABILITY

  (Ms. SCHAKOWSKY asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, one year ago today, Blackwater 
contractors opened fire in Baghdad's Nisoor Square, killing 17 Iraqi 
civilians. This wasn't the first time private security contractors used 
excessive force.
  It has now been 21 months since the Christmas Eve murder in the Green 
Zone, and 3\1/2\ years since a Blackwater helicopter dropped CS gas on 
a traffic jam in Baghdad. Yet there have been no arrests, no charges, 
no trials and no conviction. In fact, the Blackwater contractor 
responsible for the Christmas Eve shooting is now employed as a prison 
guard in Washington State.
  Instead of holding Blackwater accountable for violating the law, last 
April the State Department rewarded Blackwater by renewing their 
billion dollar contract. Before we even consider giving Blackwater 
another penny of U.S. taxpayer dollars, we should hold private security 
contractors accountable under the law.
  On the 1-year anniversary, I urge my colleagues to cosponsor the Stop 
Outsourcing Security, SOS, Act, H.R. 4102, to begin phasing out the use 
of private security contractors. The longer we wait to fix this 
problem, the worse the situation is going to get, not only for Iraqi 
civilians, but for our troops on the ground.

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