[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 22]
[House]
[Pages 30726-30727]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       STOP OUTSOURCING SECURITY

  (Ms. SCHAKOWSKY asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, in case there was any doubt that we need 
to get rid of private security contractors in Iraq, just look at 
yesterday's headline story in the Washington Post: ``How Blackwater 
Sniper Fire Felled 3 Iraqi Guards. Witnesses call shooting unprovoked, 
but State Department cleared its security team after a brief probe.''
  That shooting took place February 7, and just yesterday we found out 
about it. Isn't it obvious that the State Department is unable or 
unwilling to control these armed mercenaries whose reckless behavior 
fans the flames of hatred against all Americans, including

[[Page 30727]]

our young troops in harm's way? Isn't it obvious that for-profit 
companies like Blackwater who are being paid billions of taxpayer 
dollars have forfeited their right to work in Iraq? Defense Secretary 
Robert Gates said they are working ``at cross purposes to our larger 
mission in Iraq.''
  I urge my colleagues to cosponsor the Stop Outsourcing Security Act, 
H.R. 4102, and begin now to phase out these unaccountable private 
security contractors before they do any more damage.

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