McCaskill Concerned About Army’s Ineffective Use of Suspension and Debarment

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is expressing concerns about the U.S. Army’s growing backlog of contractors being considered for suspension and debarment, citing specific concerns about preventing the flow of funds to terrorist organizations.

In a letter to both the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army, McCaskill—Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight—along with Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Jim Webb (D-VA.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) questioned the significant delays between when a referral is made to the Army and when the Army takes action to keep the contractor from receiving additional government contracts.  The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which investigates contractors for waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars in Afghanistan, reports that between June 2011 and June 2012, the Army’s average time to process a debarment referral was a total of 323 days.   

“It is the responsibility of the Army to ensure that all suspension and debarment referrals from SIGAR are processed in a timely fashion in order to stop any uncovered abusive practices as quickly as possible,” McCaskill wrote. “Unfortunately, significant time lapses between referrals and debarment action often allow more money to flow to corrupt or poorly performing contractors.”

McCaskill also expressed concerns about the Army’s failure to act quickly on more than forty debarment recommendations, which involve individuals or companies with links to terrorist organizations such as the Haqqani Network and Al Qaeda.

As Chairman, McCaskill has held multiple hearings investigating the mismanagement of reconstruction contracts in Afghanistan. Last year, the Commission on Wartime Contracting—a panel created through legislation by McCaskill—concluded that the U.S. has wasted as much as $60 billion through contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan.  McCaskill’s Comprehensive Contingency Contracting Reform Act, included in the FY13 National Defense Authorization act passed yesterday by the Senate, includes provisions to strengthen suspension and debarment at the Army and other government agencies.

McCaskill Announces Application Process for U.S. Service Academies

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today announced that her office has begun the process for nominating Missourians to the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy for an appointment to the Class of 2017.

“Missourians have a proud tradition of military service—patriotism and sense of duty are values that run deep in our state,” said McCaskill, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “That’s why it’s an honor to be able to help Missouri students as they compete for spots at these prestigious academies and dedicate themselves to protecting our nation.”

Eligible Missourians can apply on the Senator’s website, HERE.

Candidates for a Congressional nomination must be a resident of Missouri; at least 17 years old and not past his or her 23rd birthday by July 1 of the year of admission; unmarried with no children or dependents; and able to meet high leadership, academic, physical and medical standards. For the Merchant Marine Academy, the upper age limit is 25. The Coast Guard Academy no longer requires a Congressional nomination.

McCaskill had the honor of nominating 23 Missourians from across the state who were offered appointments to the four academies for the class of 2016.

To ensure that nominations to the service academies are based on merit and every applicant has a fair chance to compete for available openings, McCaskill uses a Citizens’ Advisory Committee made up of community leaders from around Missouri. The committee reviews candidate application files and recommends selections for nominations. Applicants must complete the application on or before October 2, 2012 to be considered for a nomination.