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[MS Sen] Cochran Delivers $500 Million In “Emergency” Pork To Cash Rich Defense Contractor
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Candidate
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| Contributor | ArmyDem |
| Last Edited | ArmyDem Apr 24, 2006 11:26am |
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| Category | Blog Entry |
| News Date | Monday, April 24, 2006 05:25:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | This week, the Senate is set to consider a $106.5 billion “emergency” spending bill that is supposed to provide critical funds for Iraq, Afghanistan and Gulf Coast reconstruction. For Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran (R-MS) it’s just another opportunity to bring home the bacon.
A two-hour Senate mark-up saw the spending bill grow by “$80 million per minute.” That included an egregious $500 million giveaway to Northrop Grumman Corp.
Here’s how it works. Northrop Grumman operates a naval facility in Mississippi that was impacted by the hurricane season. Northup Grumman is insured for the “business disruption” costs of the hurricane. (They are currently litigating the final payout with their insurance company.) But Cochran inserted a provision that would require the Navy to pay Northrop Grumman up to $500 million immediately. The money would come out of “$2.7 billion in appropriated funds for Katrina-related damage.”
The Pentagon strongly opposes the provision. Northrop is supposed to reimburse the Navy when the insurance claim is settled, but if Northrup is paid by the Navy in advance, that might not happen:
Northrop argues it could take years to resolve the insurance claims. The Pentagon’s contract office argued the provision would be “inappropriate” and could set a precedent for insurers to deny claims in the future if the government agrees to pay in advance. |
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