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Independence, MO —
As the setting of Santa-Cali-Gon Days took place in the background, one of Missouri’s most prominent politicians took to the Square Tuesday afternoon to speak on what she called one of her “promises made.”
Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, who is seeking a second six-year term in November, along with her friend and colleague, U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., spoke in front of the Harry Truman statue at the Square Courthouse about their efforts made in improving wartime contracting.
Prior to the press conference, McCaskill and Webb visited the Truman Library & Museum, where they viewed archival records from Truman’s days as a Missouri senator. In early 1941, Truman took a 10,000-mile tour of military bases, the research that led up to the formation of the special U.S. Senate committee known as the Truman Committee.
According to historical summaries on the U.S. Senate’s website, Truman learned that contractors were being paid a fixed profit, no matter how inefficient their operations proved, as well as finding corporations based in the East that were receiving a greater share of the contracts.
“When he was a senator, he fundamentally understood that abuses in war contracting were unacceptable in this country,” McCaskill said of Truman. “... I’m so proud to sit at Harry Truman’s desk on the floor of the United States Senate and to serve in Harry Truman’s Senate seat. ... This is just one more area where I believe I can make the case that I am on (Missourians’) side and on the side of our troops and on the side of the military that can’t afford to waste a penny of taxpayer money in our effort to make sure we secure the freedom that we all hold dear.”
Born in St. Joseph, Mo., Webb is a Vietnam War veteran who earned the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. He also served as Secretary of the Navy during the Reagan administration. Citing a desire to return to the private sector, Webb, 66, is not seeking re-election this year in the U.S. Senate.
When he was campaigning in 2006, Webb said he also began discussing the need for a new Truman Commission. His work on the effort introduced him to McCaskill, and in mid-2007, the two senators introduced a bill to establish a commission inspired by Truman’s work.
As the setting of Santa-Cali-Gon Days took place in the background, one of Missouri’s most prominent politicians took to the Square Tuesday afternoon to speak on what she called one of her “promises made.”
Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, who is seeking a second six-year term in November, along with her friend and colleague, U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., spoke in front of the Harry Truman statue at the Square Courthouse about their efforts made in improving wartime contracting.
Prior to the press conference, McCaskill and Webb visited the Truman Library & Museum, where they viewed archival records from Truman’s days as a Missouri senator. In early 1941, Truman took a 10,000-mile tour of military bases, the research that led up to the formation of the special U.S. Senate committee known as the Truman Committee.
According to historical summaries on the U.S. Senate’s website, Truman learned that contractors were being paid a fixed profit, no matter how inefficient their operations proved, as well as finding corporations based in the East that were receiving a greater share of the contracts.
“When he was a senator, he fundamentally understood that abuses in war contracting were unacceptable in this country,” McCaskill said of Truman. “... I’m so proud to sit at Harry Truman’s desk on the floor of the United States Senate and to serve in Harry Truman’s Senate seat. ... This is just one more area where I believe I can make the case that I am on (Missourians’) side and on the side of our troops and on the side of the military that can’t afford to waste a penny of taxpayer money in our effort to make sure we secure the freedom that we all hold dear.”
Born in St. Joseph, Mo., Webb is a Vietnam War veteran who earned the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. He also served as Secretary of the Navy during the Reagan administration. Citing a desire to return to the private sector, Webb, 66, is not seeking re-election this year in the U.S. Senate.
When he was campaigning in 2006, Webb said he also began discussing the need for a new Truman Commission. His work on the effort introduced him to McCaskill, and in mid-2007, the two senators introduced a bill to establish a commission inspired by Truman’s work.
In 2008, the Commission on Wartime Contracting was formed as an independent, bipartisan legislative commission to study wartime contracting in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Following public hearings and testimonials, a bipartisan group of experts looked at Iraq and came to several conclusions, including between $31 billion and $60 billion that was wasted on contracting abuses. According to the final report, issued in August 2011, suggested reforms include improving federal planning for use of contracts, strengthening contract management and oversight and expanding competition, among others.
With the commission officially “closed” for nearly a year now, McCaskill said she is trying to make sure the recommendations made by the commission “become the new standard in the Pentagon.”
Many provisions and reforms of McCaskill’s and Webb’s legislation, she said, are included in the Senate Defense Authorization bill, which could become law by the end of 2012.
“I’m confident we can continue to stay on this issue until we get it right,” McCaskill said. “Believe me, I’m not going away on this issue. It’s not as sexy as some of the other issues out there ... but I really am going to be like a dog on a bone with this.”
McCaskill also took several questions from members of the media, including her thoughts on polls and her opponent, Republican U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, as well as her reaction to comments made during the first day of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.
“This will be a close and hard-fought race, and one of the ones who is going to be fighting the hardest is going to be me,” McCaskill said. “I’m focused like a laser on Missouri families and making sure that I am there for them.”
