Today’s Quiz: Who Said It?

Posted on July 21, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Who said this?

it “is beyond me” why the huge contract awarded to Brown and Root of Houston and other U.S. firms to build air fields and other facilities in [the war zone] “has not been and is not now being adequately audited. The potential for waste and profiteering under such a contract is substantial.”

Answer below.

According to Rodger A. Payne's, blog Government Executive Magazine (January 30, 2001) attributes it to one Representative Donald Rumsfeld, speaking on August 30, 1966, on the House floor in regards to contracts let in South Vietnam.

Brown and Root is now part of Halliburton, although they were not, I believe, linked then.

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3 Responses to Today’s Quiz: Who Said It?

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  2. EricinTX says:
    July 21, 2004 at 11:28 am

    Very true, they were not linked. However, Brown and Root was very much linked to LBJ. Brown would offer briefcases and paper bags full of cash to LBJ, and LBJ would give Brown and Root gov’t contracts whenever possible.

    This according to Bob Caro’s LBJ biographies.

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