Contractors Get Work Despite Debarment

GAO reports that some contractors continue to get government contracts despite being suspended or debarred. A Government Executive story notes:

[S]ome lawmakers noted the [excluded parties] database suffers from fundamental flaws, such as missing corporate identification numbers, an inadequate search function, obsolete contact information and an incompatibility with other government procurement databases. "The egregious examples of contracting failures found by GAO not only led to waste but endangered lives," said Darrell Issa, R-Calif., the committee's ranking member. "Recommendations for fixing mistakes, including better training and technology, need to be implemented."