Should Senators chair committees that award defense contracts to their spouses companies?

Question

http://www.metroactive.com/metro/03.21.07/dianne-feinstein-resigns-0712.html

Seems to me Cheney had to divest himself of Halliburton? This double standard of democrats being allowed tod o anything and republicans being forced from office is getting tiresome. How about not letting anyone vote on any contract going to companies/corporations they or their immediate family own? A congress that can justify insect damage to crops in Neveda needs to be on the Iran/Afghanistan aid bill, shoudl be able to figure out how to write legislation to cover this conflict of intrest. Note a sizeable amount of these contracts are awarded without bidding process. But after six years in charge she has stepped down, how ethical!

Thanks for the info on Halliburton, however, 1. Cheney/VP does not make the decisions, Congress does. 2. Feinstein has not put these monies aside until leaving office, the profits go direct into her and her husband's pocket. When she makes the decisions, they call it a "conflict of intrest". Cheney's biggest accomplishment in office is shooting a lawyer. PS George Soros now owns Halliburton and is why it moved to Dubais.

And YES I think Halliburton has a great deal to answer for, but because like Enron or Global Crossing I think you'll find they are in a lot of pockets (or vice versa) in Washington, no one wants to look to close.

Answer 1

It all started with LBJ during the Vietnam War where a company called Brown & Root owned by none other than Lady Bird Johnson received exclusive contracts for pretty much everything built by the U.S. in Vietnam. Hasn't stopped yet, like Haliburton getting laundry and cafeteria contracts with competition from companies that actually do that as their business.

Answer 2

He is not totally divorced from Halliburton. Cheney continues to hold 433,333 Halliburton stock options supposedly held in trust until he leaves office. He allegedly cannot touch them until then but they still earn money.
Vice President Dick Cheney's Halliburton stock options have risen 3,281 percent in 2004 alone.
Cheney also continues to received a deferred salary from the company. According to financial disclosure forms, he was paid $205,298 in 2001; $262,392 in 2002; $278,437 in 2003; and $294,852 in 2004.

Therefore there is no double standard.

Answer 3

As long as that information is public knowledge, it's OK - the committee can take it into consideration. If the senator was the only person making the decision, and didn't admit to the relationship up front, that's a different story.