Final DoD Bill Includes Feingold Amendment to Help Ensure American Tax Dollars Spent Wisely in Iraq Inspector General Will Continue to be Watchdog Over the Billions of U.S. Dollars to be Spent in Iraq After the June 30th Transfer of Sovereignty June 24, 2004 Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold announced today that the final version of the Department of Defense (DoD) authorization bill included his amendment to permit the Office of the Inspector General (IG) for the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) to continue overseeing reconstruction efforts financed by American tax dollars after the transfer of sovereignty in Iraq. Feingold originally offered an amendment that was included in the Iraq supplemental appropriations bill last October creating this IG in order to provide consistent oversight and regular reporting on how taxpayer dollars are being spent for reconstruction in Iraq. Currently, this IG office is set to dissolve six months after the June 30th, 2004, transfer of sovereignty and the dissolution of the CPA. Feingold's amendment will ensure that the IG will continue to watch over the billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars that remain to be spent in Iraq and report its findings to Congress. "Americans are shouldering a tremendous burden to support the reconstruction and ongoing operations in Iraq," Feingold said. "I was pleased that the Senate approved my amendment creating this IG office last year. However, while the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi interim government will take place this month, U.S. taxpayer dollars will not be leaving the country with Ambassador Bremer on June 30th. The IG must continue to do its work of overseeing the use of U.S. taxpayer funds." Feingold's amendment ensures that the IG will continue to operate until the amount of reconstruction spending in Iraq more closely resembles that of other large bilateral foreign assistance programs. Specifically, the IG's office will cease to exist ten months after 80 percent of U.S. tax dollars have been obligated. At that point, the current Inspector General for the entire State Department will be able to oversee the remainder of reconstruction funds. "We must keep an eye on where U.S. money is going," Feingold said. "Failing to get reconstruction right will cost even more American dollars, and the resulting insecurity could also cost American lives."

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