http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-jacobs/dorgan-kerry-and-leahy-_b_41375.html

We are so used to being in the opposition that our minds bend when we can
support those in power. While little noticed by the blogs or the main
stream media, real leadership shined through Thursday morning in
Washington when Senator Byron Dorgan, Chair of the Democratic Policy
Committee, backed by Senators John Kerry and Patrick Leahy, followed
through on his commitment to rein in contracting fraud and abuse that has
been the hallmark of the Bush/Cheney/Halliburton outsourcing of their
private war in Iraq.

At Thursday's press conference, Senator Dorgan announced introduction of
the Honest Leadership and Accountability in Contracting Act of 2006.

[...]

The key provisions:

* Punishes War Profiteers -Establishes penalties of up to 20 years in
prison and at least $1 million in fines for war profiteering.

* Cracks Down on Big Corporate Cheaters -Restores a Clinton
Administration rule on suspension and debarment, which prohibited
awarding federal contracts to companies that exhibited a pattern of
failing to comply with the law. The Bush Administration repealed this
rule as soon as it took office.

* Requires Full Disclosure of Contract Abuses - Establishes a "Truth
in Contracting" public website identifying overcharges by major
contractors.

* Forces Real Contract Competition - Prohibits the awarding of huge
monopoly contracts, and allows multiple companies to make bids for
work so as to ensure price competition.

* Bans Corporate Cronyism in Contracting - Requires that federal
agencies conduct contract oversight, rather than paying contractors
with conflicts of interest to oversee one another.

* Eliminates Conflicts of Interest for Federal Contracting Employees -
Closes the perverse loophole that allows federal contracting officials
to take jobs as lobbyists for companies to whom they awarded
contracts.

* Ends Cronyism in Key Government Positions - Stops unqualified
political appointees like David Safavian and Michael Brown from
holding key jobs relating to federal contracting or public safety.

* Strengthens Whistleblower Protections - Makes it more difficult for
federal agencies to retaliate against whistleblowers, and gives courts
wider discretion to consider cases of retaliation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-jacobs/dorgan-kerry-and-leahy-_b_41375.html