Schakowsky Offers Amendment to Cut Off State Department Funding to Blackwater

SCHAKOWSKY OFFERS AMENDMENT TO CUT OFF STATE DEPARTMENT FUNDING TO BLACKWATER

Washington, D.C.–U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a founding member of the Out of Iraq Caucus, offered an amendment today in front of the House Rules Committee which would prohibit the State Department from using funds from the Iraq supplemental funding bill for Blackwater. If accepted by the Rules Committee, the amendment would be offered to the Iraq supplemental appropriations bill, which is expected to be considered by the full House of Representatives tomorrow.

Congresswoman Schakowsky delivered the following comments when she presented her amendment to the House Rules Committee.

"Thank you Madam Chairwoman, Ranking Member Dreier for providing me the opportunity to testify on behalf of my amendment today.

My amendment would prohibit the State Department from using funds from this supplemental funding bill for the Diplomatic and Consular Programs account for current or future contracts with Blackwater Worldwide.

Very simply, my amendment would cut off State Department funding for Blackwater.

Currently there are approximately 170,000 private contractors working in Iraq and Afghanistan–a greater number than our own troops. Many of these contractors perform vital support services for the military like cooking and serving food and base maintenance. There are other contractors who are overseen by the Department of Defense who perform military functions like law enforcement, intelligence gathering, and training Iraqi troops.

This amendment is not designed to make a judgment about any of those activities. It is simply designed to end the contract with Blackwater Worldwide for diplomatic security by the State Department.

Everyone knows about the horrible incidents involving Blackwater opening fire on innocent civilians last September in Nisour Square, about a Blackwater employee killing the Iraqi Vice President's guard, about Blackwater releasing poisonous gas on a crowded intersection in Baghdad. Nothing has been done in response to these incidents.

And these incidents have damaged our already-tattered image in the eyes of the Iraqi people. They have irreparably harmed our relationship with the Iraqi government. Prime Minister Maliki attempted to revoke Blackwater's license to operate in Iraq in 2007, and last month he said that Blackwater has "massacred...–that's his word–Iraqi civilians.

Despite the extremely serious nature of each of the incidents Blackwater has been involved in, not one investigation has been completed. And despite the existence of so many ongoing investigations into Blackwater's actions, both possible criminal actions and abuse of the tax code, the State Department renewed Blackwater's contract last month.

I believe that we must not continue to reward and rely on a company that has been implicated in the deaths of more than 17 innocent civilians and gross violations of ethical conduct.

It is vital that we show to the American people and the Iraqis that we are serious about reining in Blackwater. For much too long, there has been a perception, and to date really the reality, that Blackwater's employees are somehow outside or above the law, even getting away with murder. This has created tension among our own military men and women who are paid much less than the Blackwater employees who work right next to them and whom we hold to the highest standards. And it has frayed our relationship with Iraqis, who view the company as a symbol of American hubris and disregard for Iraqi civilians.

We cannot continue to allow Blackwater to run roughshod over the law and jeopardize the safety, security and well-being of the U.S. military and the Iraqi people.

I thank you very much for allowing me to offer this amendment here today....