Tundra tussle: McCaskill gets push bask on her Alaskan probe
ST. LOUIS — U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s auditing experience has paid dividends on Capitol Hill, helping her land the top chair of an oversight panel in her freshman term.
She’s using that post to examine government contracts — and already ruffling feathers as far away as Alaska.
As part of her leadership of the Senate Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight, McCaskill has been probing the regulation of Alaska Native Corporations, which were created in 1971 as part of a pact between the government and native Alaskans to settle land claims.
Congress has since allowed the corporations to qualify for no-bid government contracts under small business regulations, while also passing exemptions that would otherwise cap the size of the contract.
Part of the beneficial language was pushed by former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, who for several years was chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations committee.
Now that McCaskill has begin to question those exemptions, however, the influential Native Corporations are taking notice.
The Anchorage Daily News reports this week that a coalition of Native Corporations has begun a public relations campaign to “to fight back against congressional attacks on the government contracting that has helped make them some of the state’s largest companies.”
The group — “Native 8(a) Works,” named for a section of the small business code under which the program was created — has launched a multi-media blitz and, according to the Daily News, begun flying Native Corporation officials to public events around the state.
The group’s PR push includes web videos (above) showing native Alaskans benefiting from the program.
Even so, it does not seem like McCaskill, who served two terms as Missouri State Auditor, will budge easily.
“Reform in this area is going to happen,” McCaskill spokeswoman Maria Speiser told the Daily News. It’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when,”
Where can I sign up to be a Native Corporation?
Let me know when she goes after Charlie “Taxes, what taxes?” Rangle
What is “push bask”?
Jake,
What are you writing political ads now? This is the type of hard-hitting journalism we have come to expect from the post…re-printing a press release of a D and passing it on as news. I remember a few weeks ago when your skill as an ”objective” journalist were used to shill for Rachel Storch….that turned out well…lol
Let’s spell Alaskan properly in the headline. [Got it -- thanks! JAKE]
Is anyone interested in the mild hypocrisy of going after Alaska Native Corporations for sole source contracts, when Boeing in Missouri received more sole source contracts in 2007 than all of the Native and tribal companies combined? Why doesn’t reform start at home?
I thought Democrats were sympathetic to minority Native Americans. Or did I miss the memo that policy changed when ACORN stuff was uncovered. I’m confused. Nevertheless, wake me up when she takes off on Rangle.
As I observed Clare getting into her long black limo after picking up a few things at the new Schucks Market by West County Mall this past Friday, it seems that she might want to audit herself and her office for inappropriate personal expenses charged to the government.
What a crook and hypocrite! Does she rub shoulders with Rangel and Geitner a little too much?
Alwaysmore, your petty face is showing…that “long black limo” you fuss over is a Elec/Hybrid SUV made in the USA that she paid for herself…she always drives herself anytime she can…sorry you object if she gets a few hours off to do something as “suspicious” as grocery shopping….I know some of her kids through my kids….they bought it to be able to carry as many of their family as possible….she has always used her own car, paid for by herself, even in DC unlike many other Senators…and even going back to her time as Auditor…she gave back the Auditor’s car and drove her own…I dare you to find something wrong with any of that….her car color is not as black as your thought process….