[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1019 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1019

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the current 
   economic slowdown in the United States is directly related to the 
enormous costs of the ongoing occupation of Iraq, consigning the United 
  States to what can only be called the Iraq recession, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 4, 2008

 Ms. Lee (for herself, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. 
    Hinchey, Ms. Woolsey, and Mr. Grijalva) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the current 
   economic slowdown in the United States is directly related to the 
enormous costs of the ongoing occupation of Iraq, consigning the United 
  States to what can only be called the Iraq recession, and for other 
                               purposes.

Whereas the current economic slowdown in the United States is directly related 
        to the enormous costs of the ongoing occupation of Iraq, consigning the 
        United States to what can only be called the Iraq recession;
Whereas March 19, 2008, marks the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq 
        war, which has claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 members of the United 
        States Armed Forces and resulted in injuries to more than 28,000 others, 
        many suffering the most horrific of wounds which will scar them for 
        life;
Whereas to date, American taxpayers have spent more than $495 billion to invade 
        and occupy a country that had not attacked us and posed no threat of 
        harm to our vital interests;
Whereas the average monthly operating costs for United States operations in Iraq 
        have grown from $4.8 billion in fiscal year 2004 to $10.3 billion in 
        fiscal year 2007, a doubling in only four years;
Whereas a recent estimate from Nobel Laureate and former chief economist at the 
        World Bank, Joseph Stiglitz, indicates that the cost to the United 
        States by the end of the Iraq war could total more than $3 trillion;
Whereas the President's budget proposal for fiscal year 2009 calls for $23 
        billion in cuts to domestic programs, eliminating 50 education programs, 
        20 programs to improve healthcare access, and cutting discretionary 
        grants to States and local governments by $15.1 billion;
Whereas President George W. Bush has requested more than $170 billion in 
        additional funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan;
Whereas in addition to the enormous cost in blood and treasure, the indirect 
        costs of the Iraq war have harmed America's international standing and 
        engendered a generation of future enemies incensed by the endless 
        occupation of their country by a foreign power;
Whereas the collateral consequences of the decision to wage war and occupy Iraq 
        extend to the home front due to the inability of the United States to 
        finance investments needed to rebuild its infrastructure, make housing 
        more affordable, improve educational opportunities, and secure the 
        homeland;
Whereas five years after the start of the Iraq war the great majority of 
        Americans now regard the decision to go to war in Iraq as a mistake and 
        68 percent of Americans believe that ending the war and occupation in 
        Iraq is an important step the United States Government can take to 
        respond to the current economic recession and to address pressing human 
        and social needs in the United States and to maintain American 
        competitiveness in the global economy;
Whereas there were 36.5 million Americans living in poverty in 2006;
Whereas at least two million more Americans have fallen into poverty in the five 
        years since the invasion of Iraq;
Whereas there were more than 47 million Americans without health insurance in 
        2006;
Whereas it is projected that more than two million American families will lose 
        their homes to foreclosure, primarily in fiscal years 2008 and 2009;
Whereas the $495 billion spent to cover the costs of the war in Iraq could have 
        provided health care to 140 million persons or funded eight million 
        elementary school teachers or provided scholarships to 80 million 
        college students;
Whereas the enormous sums spent fighting a war more costly than World War II 
        could have been used instead to build 50,000 new elementary schools or 
        3.5 million affordable housing units or hire 10 million new first 
        responders or 7 million persons to inspect the cargo entering United 
        States ports or to retrofit more than 500 million homes to use renewable 
        electricity;
Whereas the money spent on the war and occupation in Iraq constitutes a 
        continuing danger to the United States because it is money that is 
        desperately needed but not available to assist State and local 
        governments in coping with the decline in revenues resulting from 
        falling property values and the economic downturn; and
Whereas State and local revenues are falling at the same time that the demand is 
        increasing for programs serving children, the elderly, the poor, the 
        homeless, and those facing the loss of their homes and rather than 
        increasing funding for these programs to respond to demonstrated need, 
        State and local governments will be forced to cut back or eliminate 
        programs that assist society's most vulnerable persons at the most 
        vulnerable time in their lives, which would constitute perhaps the 
        greatest unintended consequence of the Iraq war: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the current economic slowdown in the United States is 
        directly related to the enormous costs of the ongoing 
        occupation of Iraq, which have inflicted incalculable damage to 
        the economic well-being of the United States and its standing 
        abroad, consigning the United States to what can only be called 
        the Iraq recession; and
            (2) Congress should--
                    (A) move to redeploy United States Armed Forces and 
                contractor security forces from Iraq as quickly and as 
                safely as practical; and
                    (B) refocus its efforts on addressing vital 
                domestic priorities so as to alleviate the impact of 
                the slowing economy and protect the economic security 
                of all Americans.
                                 <all>