Senate Hearing on AIG Care for Contractors Injured in Iraq Postponed Until June
Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.) announced Monday that the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has postponed until June a hearing on the government's system of purchasing private insurance to cover contractor injuries and deaths in war zones. The committee, which previously scheduled the hearing for May 21, plans to examine whether the Labor and Defense Departments provided adequate oversight of the system, which has channeled billions of dollars to AIG and other major insurance carriers. The hearing follows a joint report by the Los Angeles Times, ABC News and ProPublica that AIG and other carriers routinely deny claims for health care for civilian workers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. A House Oversight and Government Reform panel is also planning a hearing on the topic this summer.
Disposable Army: Civilian Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan
War contractors return home with the same scars as soldiers, but without the support.
The Story So Far
Civilian contractors have been an indispensable part of the U.S. war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they have returned home without the support available for troops in uniform.
Tens of thousands of civilians have worked in the two battle zones, delivering fuel, protecting diplomats and translating for troops, among other jobs.
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1 comments
Andy Felix
May 13, 2009, 11:13 a.m.
I think this is a complicated issue and it will be interesting to watch how the proceedings go on.
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