Homeland Contracts Oversight Deemed Poor

Homeland Contracts Oversight Deemed Poor

WASHINGTON - The Homeland Security Department spent $34 billion in its first two years on private contracts that were poorly managed or included significant waste or abuse, a congressional report concluded Thursday.

Faulty airport screening machines, unused mobile homes for hurricane victims and lavish employee office space - complete with seven kitchens, a gym and fancy artwork - were among 32 contracts on which Homeland Security overspent, the report found.

"The cumulative costs to the taxpayer are enormous," concluded the report, which was prepared for Reps. Tom Davis, R-Va., and Henry Waxman, D-Calif., who head the
House Government Reform Committee.