Contact: Josh Holly (202) 226-3988
Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, today responded to an inaccurate article in the New York Times regarding the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.
Hunter’s statement follows:
“Today the New York Times incorrectly reported that a provision in this year's annual defense authorization bill was dropped in at the last minute.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. The provision in question was agreed to by Democrats and Republicans in both chambers in late August.
“The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction has provided a valuable role to date overseeing Iraq reconstruction spending and remains a vital auditor of U.S. taxpayer dollars being spent to help rebuild Iraq.
“Had we not acted, the mission of the Special Inspector General for Iraq would have ended sooner under current law. This provision in the defense authorization bill ensures that we have a smooth transition from the Special Inspector General to the Inspectors General of State and Defense.”
A background paper is attached.
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