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Sen. McCaskill Shows Support for Opening Markup of Major Defense Bill
From the Project On Government Oversight
By DANA LIEBELSON
The campaign by POGO and allies to open up the Senate markup of the U.S. defense budget bill continues to gain steam. Almost thirty good government, taxpayer, and civil and human rights organizations from across the ideological spectrum have pressed the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) to shine a light on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Additionally, Committee Member Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) recently issued a statement reaffirming her support for opening the markup:
The American people have the right to know what their leaders are saying and doing as they set the national security priorities for our country, a process that includes mapping out how over half a trillion dollars in taxpayer funds should be allocated. That’s why, since I came to the Senate, I’ve fought hard for the Senate Armed Services Committee’s consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act to be fully transparent and open to the public. We had some success last year, when I opened to the public the consideration of the Readiness Subcommittee’s portion of the annual defense bill. I’m hoping to build on that success this year.
The NDAA authorized more than $662 billion of taxpayer dollars for FY 2012, but it was drafted in secret in the Senate committee. This makes little sense, given the fact that on the House side, the markup is open and the Committee can easily move to an executive session when classified information is being considered. In addition to opening up the markup, drafts of the bill and proposed amendments should be posted online in advance—as is done by House Armed Services and most other committees.
John LaBombard, a spokesman for McCaskill, told POGO that “every year McCaskill has been a member of SASC, she has fought to open the full committee negotiations [and argued that] only a tiny portion of the legislation deals with classified information.”
You can take action on this issue by going to www.OpenNDAA.org to sign on to two letters: one thanking SASC members like McCaskill who have voted for transparency, and another urging the others to vote against conducting the NDAA markup in a closed session this year.
Dana Liebelson is POGO's Beth Daley Impact Fellow.
The Project On Government Oversight is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that champions good government reforms. POGO’s investigations into corruption, misconduct, and conflicts of interest achieve a more effective, accountable, open, and ethical federal government. Founded in 1981, POGO (which was then known as Project on Military Procurement) originally worked to expose outrageously overpriced military spending on items such as a $7,600 coffee maker and a $436 hammer. In 1990, after many successes reforming military spending, including a Pentagon spending freeze at the height of the Cold War, POGO decided to expand its mandate and investigate waste, fraud, and abuse throughout the federal government.
Throughout its history, POGO’s work has been applauded by Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, federal workers and whistleblowers, other nonprofits, and the media.
Read more at Project On Government Oversight
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