After a recent face-to-face discussion with Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill questioned him during a Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on a variety of issues, including deterring Iran’s nuclear weapons program, and efforts to tamp down wasteful spending at the Pentagon—a longstanding priority for McCaskill.
“It is clear that in Iraq there was a failure in the infrastructure investments we made—and I’m convinced we have made the same mistakes in Afghanistan,” said McCaskill.
McCaskill requested that Hagel, if confirmed, commit to providing a report evaluating the level of waste in infrastructure spending in Afghanistan, and whether that spending had enhanced U.S. security.
“And as you know--our Special Inspector Generals have come up with billions and billions and billions of dollars that are unaccounted for—corruption, fraud, waste, abuse. It really is quite astounding,” said Hagel, who agreed to provide such a report. “We need to learn from this.”
Also discussed was the ability to audit the Pentagon, an effort that has encountered significant delays over the past decade. A vote by the Armed Services Committee is expected soon, and if successful, Hagel’s nomination will move to the full Senate for a final vote.
McCaskill has served on the Armed Services Committee since joining the Senate in 2007. She has been a leader on identifying waste within the Pentagon, particularly within the area of federal contracting. Last year, after identifying up to $60 billion in contracting waste in Iraq and Afghanistan, she passed an historic reform bill overhauling how federal contracts are awarded and monitored during military contingencies.
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