	Frequently Asked Questions

		Contracting Authority and Eligibility

What Are the Statutory, Regulatory, and Other ControllingAuthorities for How Federal Government Contracts Are Awarded? In general, theauthority for awarding federal government contracts can be found in the United States Code (U.S.C. Primary authority for the awarding andadministration of Iraq reconstruction contracts has been transferred to the U.S.-led CoalitionProvisional Authority (CPA) http://www.cpa-iraq.org/ . It is anticipated that USAIDand the other federal agencies involved with Iraq's reconstruction will continue their roles in thecontracting process as a complement to CPA's efforts. For additional information on federal agencysolicitations, application procedures, and contact information, see CRS Report RS21546, IraqReconstruction Resources: Fact Sheet. The solicitation (Solicitation DACA63-03-R-0021, for theRepair and Continuity Operations of Iraq Oil Infrastructure) called for a total of two (2) contractsto be awarded, and that work under each of these two contracts could range from a minimum amountof $500,000 to not more than $500,000,000, during the life of the contracts. (30) The company confirmed this. Businesses Get Federal Government Contracts for Work in Iraq? Iraq reconstruction prime contractors areresponsible for choosing their own subcontractors. Both S. 2400 , the proposedDepartment of Defense FY2005 Authorization Bill for Military Construction and the Departmentof Energy, and S. 2401 , the proposed Department of Defense FY2005 AuthorizationBill, would require the Secretary of Defense to (1) submit to Congress a report detailing amanagement and oversight plan covering contractor personnel who are managed by federalgovernment personnel; and (2) submit to the House and Senate defense committees a report thatoutlines the rationale for and nature of the security, intelligence, law enforcement, and criminaljustice activities performed by contractors in Iraq. Themeasure was referred to the House Rules Committee. CRS Report RS21489 . CRS Report RL32079 . CRS Report RL31024 .
This report provides answers to frequently asked questions about contracts for thereconstruction and recovery in Iraq after Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and questions aboutcontracts for providing support services to the U.S. military during and after OIF. The reportdescribes the governing authorities for federal government contracting policy in general, and Iraqicontracting policy in particular; the contracting process, issues, and challenges; the authority ofindividual federal agencies; contract awards and the identity of major prime contractors; the businessprocurement process, congressional oversight, and resources for additional information.
Due to the transfer of sovereignty on June 30, 2004, this report will not be updated again. For a more comprehensive discussion of Iraq, activities since the transfer of sovereignty, and overallIraqi reconstruction issues, see CRS Report RL31339 , Iraq: U.S. Regime Change Efforts andPost-Saddam Governance , and CRS Report RL31833 , Iraq: Recent Developments in ReconstructionAssistance. For a fact sheet on the application of federal procurement statutes to contracts for thereconstruction of Iraq, refer to CRS Report RS21546, Iraq Reconstruction Resources: Fact Sheet. For a detailed discussion on the application of federal procurement statutes to reconstructioncontracts in Iraq, refer to CRS Report RS21555 , Iraq Reconstruction: Frequently Asked QuestionsConcerning the Application of Federal Procurement Statutes.
Key Policy Staff
Abbreviations:
FDT = Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade
KSG = Knowledge Services Group