Leahy goes after Halliburton and others

[cali]

with his War Profiteering Prevention Act, introduced yesterday. You can read it, and more about it, on his website:

http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200701/010407b.html

[seemslikeadream]

1. These dead will not have died in vain

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x3033152

[leveymg]

2. Here's Leahy's War Profiteering Bill - notice the double-damages provisions

that allow fines twice the amount of "illegal gross profits" subsequent to any contracting fraud or false statement made in connection with one.

Since Halliburton was making about a billion dollars a month this year, atop five billion last year, I'd calculate that company's fines at $34 billion, plus twice whatever they've made in Iraq from March 2003 until December 2004. The fraud is, of course, Cheney's lies that got us into the war.

Oh, ya, and twenty years in the slammer for each count.

Book-em, Danno.

War Profiteering Prevention Act of 2007

§ Criminalizes war profiteering, which is defined as materially overvaluing any good or service with the specific intent to excessively profit from the war and relief or reconstruction activities

§ Statute would strengthen the tools available to federal prosecutors to combat war profiteering by providing clear authority for the Government to seek criminal penalties and to recover excessive profits for war profiteering overseas.

§ Prohibits any fraud against the United States, Iraq, or any other foreign country involving a contract for the provision of any goods or services in connection with a war, military action, or relief or reconstruction activities.

§ Subjects violators to up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine not to exceed the greater of $1,000,000 or twice the amount of any illegal gross profits, or both.

§ Prohibits making a false statement in any matter involving a contract for the provision of any goods or services in connection with a war, military action, or relief or reconstruction activities.

§ Subjects violators of this provision to up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine not to exceed the greater of $1,000,000, or twice the amount of any illegal gross profits, or both.

§ Creates extraterritorial jurisdiction over offenses committed overseas, and covers any person in the United States or abroad who violates its provisions.

[cali]

3. Hey, thanks for pointing that out.

Those look like really tough provisions. I think we can gather that Senator Leahy is playing hardball.

[leveymg]

5. Now, let's see if we can get 15 Republican Senators to vote for it.

[cali]

6. Are there any that you know of who would vote

for it, or who voted for the version that was last introduced and passsed?

[leveymg]

7. This is a new era in Washington . We have to wait and see.

This will be a big brick bat the Dems can use to beat up GOP Congresscritters who vote against it.

[crickets]

10. "This will be a big brick bat..." Exactly. K&R!

I am so, so glad to see legislation like this finally being proposed. It is way past due.

[cali]

11. It's not finally. Leahy proposed this a couple of years ago and

it was passed, but struck out at conference, I believe.

[crickets]

19. Oops, I didn't realize that

Thanks for the correction. I guess I should amend to say I'm glad this has finally been proposed in a Congressional environment where it may pass with less likelihood of being struck out in conference later.

[wryter2000]

14. For the R's to kill it, they'd have to filibuster

Assuming all the D's and I's voted together (not a safe assumption with Lieberman and a few others), that would give us enough votes for it to pass. They'd have to filibuster a bill to punish profiteers. I don't know if they'd be willing to go on record doing that, although they regularly amaze me with how low they can go.

[never cry wolf]

20. How could they not?

I am sure that public approval would be about 95% for this bill, who could say they agree with war profiteering? Bunnypants may try a veto but again, how could he justify it?

[AndyA]

4. I do like Leahy. I'm glad he's on our side.

And I'm certain this act will be a part of opening the door to impeachment of George Bush and Dick Cheney.

The ball is beginning to roll, folks! :thumbsup:

[DU9598]

8. One big problem

All of the US Attorneys are Bush Appointees, right? I guess we could utilize the law in 2009.

[cali]

9. I'm not sure that just because the US Attorneys are

Bush appointments that that definatively means that they won't prosecute. Isn't Fitzgerald a bush appointment/

[DU9598]

12. Yeah

Like Fitz ever went all out in trying to find out what happened in the Plame matter. He put up a good front for all of us here, but I don't see him fully prosecuting all the wrong doing he surely has uncovered. Luckily the Wilson's have civil attorneys to fully prosecute and punish those who outed her.

[wryter2000]

15. I think you're right

And this is just one nail in the coffin of investigations.

[Cocoa]

13. did Cheney swear him in yesterday?

[wryter2000]

16. Or did Cheney just swear at him? n/t

n/t

[Beaverhausen]

22. LOL!

:hi:

[wryter2000]

29. Thanks n/t

n/t

[salin]

17. he Swore in Sanders - I think that only newly elected or reelected

were sworn in by Cheney. There is a great pic of when he swore in Hillary - with Bill standing along side laughing.

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. Damn! I love you Dems!

Today, I'm proud to be an American again!

It's one great thread after another!

[MurrayDelph]

21. I inherited some Halliburton stock from my Dad's estate

I am SO glad I got rid of it last year.

[Seabiscuit]

25. Just last year? What took you so long?

[nam78_two]

23. K&R

Senator Leahy is one of the best we have!

[ellisonz]

24. Mark Pryor deserves some credit too...

Kudos to both.

:applause:

[StrictlyRockers]

26. This is a duplicate post.

This had previously been posted.

Here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2677056

[DemReadingDU]

27. True, but some people only read 1 forum

Some people only read the lounge, or just the latest news, or just the general forum. Truly, it's difficult to read everything. I figure if the news is important, I read it on the greatest page, ;-)

[maddezmom]

28. Dupes are allowed in GD

and actually this one was posted a couple hours before yours in LBN. :)

[Uncle Joe]

30. Thanks for the post cali

Kicked and recommended

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

31. Leahy isn't going to have to do much footwork. Rep. Henry Waxman has done tons

of work on this, including taking all the evidence to the General Accounting Office. The GAO's hands were tied because Waxman didn't have subpoena power and he and Leahy do now!