U.S. Funds to Afghanistan to be Reviewed in Wednesday Oversight Subcommittee Hearing

WASHINGTON- The House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security will conduct a hearing next Wednesday, February 13^th to review the transparency and accountability of U.S. direct assistance to the Afghanistan government.

Each year the U.S. spends billions of taxpayer dollars on direct assistant to the government of Afghanistan, often with little oversight as to how the money is allotted, distributed, and invested. This hearing will examine the federal government’s oversight process for direct assistance funds. It will also review the findings and recommendations of the January 24, 2013 audit report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) on fuel funding and capabilities in Afghanistan. Petroleum, oil, and lubricant (POL) is expected to cost the U.S. an estimated $2.8 billion between 2014 and 2018. However, last year the Department of Defense was unable to account for $475 million spent on POL in Afghanistan. The Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense, and Foreign Operations investigated the missing records in two hearings in September 2012.

Hearing Details:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
“U.S. Direct Assistance in Afghanistan: Ensuring Transparency and Accountability”
Subcommittee on National Security, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, Chairman
10:00am in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building and will be streamed live online at oversight.house.gov.
 
Witness:
Mr. John F. Sopko, Special Inspector General for the Afghanistan Reconstruction