Press release, Committee on Government Reform, Minority Office: “In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Bush Administration turned to private contractors to provide relief and recovery services worth billions of dollars. Now, one year later, it is apparent that taxpayers and the residents of the Gulf Coast are paying a steep price for the failure to stop waste, fraud, and abuse in federal contracting. At the request of Reps. Waxman, Cardoza, Obey, Tanner, Norton, and Tierney, this report examines procurement spending in response to Hurricane Katrina. The report identifies 19 Katrina contracts, collectively worth $8.75 billion, that have experienced significant overcharges, wasteful spending, or mismanagement.”