Secret Committee Print, Investigation of the National Defense Program, S. Res. 71, Report on Tank Lighter Program of the Navy Department
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Title
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Secret Committee Print, Investigation of the National Defense Program, S. Res. 71, Report on Tank Lighter Program of the Navy Department
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Description
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Special, or select, committees are formed to address a specific bill or to investigate anything that is related to the development of public policy. Congressional investigations may provide oversight of the executive or judicial branches, but they have also looked at issues such as Wall Street banking prices, organized crime, and more. In the 1940s, Congress prepared for America’s entry into World War II by appropriating $10 billion in defense contracts. Senator Harry Truman heard stories about contractor mismanagement and conceived of a special Senate Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program. It was one of the most productive investigating committees in history and saved millions of dollars. Senator Harley Kilgore (D-WV) served on the committee, heading up numerous investigations of the scientific and organizational weaknesses in the war effort.
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Date
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1942
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