Webb Enhances National Defense Bill through Measures to Support Men & Women in Uniform, Veterans and American Taxpayers

Press Release

Webb Enhances National Defense Bill through Measures to Support Men & Women in Uniform, Veterans and American Taxpayers

The U.S. Senate Monday approved the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1585) for fiscal year 2008, which includes several key provisions by Senator Jim Webb to support the troops, veterans and American taxpayers.

"On the campaign trail last year, I made a commitment to take the necessary steps to restore basic accountability to our government," said Webb. "I talked about reinstituting a World War II-era ‘Truman Committee' to investigate waste, fraud and abuse in the Iraq reconstruction effort. I'm proud to say that with an amendment I sponsored along with Senator McCaskill and my freshman colleagues, we accomplished that goal. This bill is a win for the American taxpayers who deserve real value for their investment and proper stewardship of their tax dollars."

Webb also fought to provide a safety net for men and women in uniform by requiring that active-duty troops and units have at least as much time at home as the length of their previous tour in Iraq or Afghanistan. Fifty-six Senators voted for Webb's "dwell time" amendment, which was four votes short of the 60 needed to break a Republican filibuster.

Webb continued: "I regret that my amendment to protect the well-being of our troops through fair rotation cycles, which received a clear majority of 56 votes in the Senate, did not reach the number of votes to break a Republican filibuster. I will continue the fight to ensure that the leadership we provide our men and women in uniform is equal to the standards that we constantly set for them."

The following measures, sponsored by Senator Webb, were included in the National Defense Authorization Act:

* Creation of a Commission on Wartime Contracting. Senators Webb and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) introduced a landmark provision, on behalf of their Senate Democratic freshman colleagues, to establish an independent, bipartisan Commission to investigate U.S. wartime contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Commission on Wartime Contracting, inspired by the World War II "Truman Committee," will work in partnership with the Special Inspector General of Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR). The legislation expands the oversight of the SIGIR to include investigations of wartime contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, not just Iraq reconstruction. This expansion is a response to recent reports of contractor abuses, including the latest federal investigation of Blackwater, which has the largest contracts for private security contractors in Iraq.

* Greater Oversight of Security Contractors. Senators Webb and McCaskill filed a second war contracting amendment that requires the Department of Defense to strengthen its policies regarding private security contractors, such as Blackwater. The amendment directs the U.S Department of Defense to develop procedures to maintain records of private security personnel, register vehicles operated by contractors and report and review and report all incidents where persons are killed or injured.

* Preservation of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Senators Webb and Daniel Akaka (D-HI) sponsored an amendment to postpone the replacement of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier until an assessment of the current efforts to maintain and preserve the monument are performed and reported to Congress.

* Extension of the Electromagnetic Pulse Commission. Senators Webb and John Warner sponsored an amendment to extend the work of a commission which assesses the vulnerability of the U.S. military and civilian systems to an electromagnetic-pulse attack. The Commission's final report will be provided to Congress by November 30, 2008. This allows the commission's technical research and analysis to be conducted for another year at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Va.

The bill includes a measure, co-sponsored by Senator Webb, to restore full benefits to surviving spouses of military retirees, by eliminating the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation offset to the Survivor Benefit Plan. The bill also prohibits DOD from increasing health-care fees, under TRICARE, for active-duty and retired military servicemembers. Additionally, the bill authorizes "concurrent receipt" to restore full retired pay to disabled veterans, whose pay is currently reduced by the amount of disability compensation.

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