As the war in Iraq advanced into its second week, Congress was moving swiftly on more than $75 billion to pay for the conflict, Iraq reconstruction and U.S. domestic security. At press time, contractors were waiting for the U.S. Agency for International Development to say who would win a $600-million reconstruction contract.
Sources say the competition for the 21-month USAID contract had narrowed to two firms: Bechtel Group Inc., San Francisco, and Parsons Corp., Pasadena, Calif. Parsons' bid is being supported by Halliburton Co.'s Kellogg Brown and Root unit as a main subcontractor. Halliburton confirms KBR did not bid as a prime contractor for the USAID job, but would not confirm or deny that it had bid as a subcontractor. "We remain a potential subcontractor for this work," says Wendy Hall, a Halliburton spokeswoman.