[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1238 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1238
To direct the President to submit to Congress a report on the long-term
costs of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation
Enduring Freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 18, 2013
Mr. Braley of Iowa (for himself and Mr. Jones) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in
addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Veterans' Affairs,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of
the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the President to submit to Congress a report on the long-term
costs of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation
Enduring Freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``True Cost of War Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. REPORT ON LONG-TERM COSTS OF OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM AND
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The United States has been engaged in military
operations in Afghanistan since October 2001 as Operation
Enduring Freedom and in military operations in Iraq since March
2003 as Operation Iraqi Freedom and its successor contingency
operation, Operation New Dawn.
(2) According to the Congressional Research Service,
through fiscal year 2013, Congress has appropriated
$1,500,000,000,000 for the Department of Defense, for the State
Department, and for medical costs paid by the Department of
Veterans Affairs. This amount includes $821,000,000,000 related
to operations in Iraq and $645,000,000,000 related to
operations in Afghanistan.
(3) Over 90 percent of the funds appropriated for the
Department of Defense for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan
have been provided as supplemental or additional appropriations
and designated as an emergency funding requirement.
(4) The Congressional Budget Office and the Congressional
Research Service have stated that future costs for operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan are difficult to estimate because the
Department of Defense provides little information on costs
incurred to date and actual expenditure for operations in Iraq
and Afghanistan (because war and baseline funds are mixed in
the same accounts) and because of a lack of information from
the Department of Defense on many of the key factors that
determine costs, including personnel levels and the pace of
operations.
(5) Over 2,400,000 members of the United States Armed
Forces have served in Afghanistan and Iraq since the beginning
of the conflicts.
(6) Over 4,400 members of the Armed Forces and Department
of Defense civilian personnel have been killed in Operation
Iraqi Freedom, and over 2,100 members of the Armed Forces and
Department of Defense civilian personnel have been killed in
Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
(7) Over 1,715 members of the Armed Forces have suffered
amputations as a result of wounds or other injuries incurred in
Afghanistan or Iraq.
(8) More than 250,000 veterans of military service in Iraq
and Afghanistan have been treated for mental health conditions,
more than 100,000 of these veterans have been diagnosed with
post-traumatic stress disorder, and approximately 253,330 of
these veterans have a confirmed traumatic brain injury
diagnosis.
(9) Approximately 54 percent of veterans of military
service in Iraq and Afghanistan have sought treatment at a
Department of Veterans Affairs hospital or medical clinic.
(10) The Independent Review Group on Rehabilitative Care
and Administrative Processes at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
and National Naval Medical Center identified traumatic brain
injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, increased survival of
severe burns, and traumatic amputations as the four signature
wounds of the current conflicts, and the Independent Review
Group report states that the recovery process ``can take months
or years and must accommodate recurring or delayed
manifestations of symptoms, extended rehabilitation and all the
life complications that emerge over time from such trauma''.
(b) Report Requirement.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the President, with contributions from the
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, shall submit to Congress a report containing an
estimate of previous costs of Operation New Dawn (the successor
contingency operation to Operation Iraqi Freedom) and the long-term
costs of Operation Enduring Freedom for a scenario, determined by the
President and based on current contingency operation and withdrawal
plans, that takes into account expected force levels and the expected
length of time that members of the Armed Forces will be deployed in
support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
(c) Estimates To Be Used in Preparation of Report.--In preparing
the report required by subsection (b), the President shall make
estimates and projections through at least fiscal year 2023, adjust any
dollar amounts appropriately for inflation, and take into account and
specify each of the following:
(1) The total number of members of the Armed Forces
expected to be deployed in support of Operation Enduring
Freedom, including--
(A) the number of members of the Armed Forces
actually deployed in Southwest Asia in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom;
(B) the number of members of reserve components of
the Armed Forces called or ordered to active duty in
the United States for the purpose of training for
eventual deployment in Southwest Asia, backfilling for
deployed troops, or supporting other Department of
Defense missions directly or indirectly related to
Operation Enduring Freedom; and
(C) the break-down of deployments of members of the
regular and reserve components and activation of
members of the reserve components.
(2) The number of members of the Armed Forces, including
members of the reserve components, who have previously served
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, or
Operation Enduring Freedom and who are expected to serve
multiple deployments.
(3) The number of contractors and private military security
firms that have been used and are expected to be used during
the course of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and
Operation Enduring Freedom.
(4) The number of veterans currently suffering and expected
to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain
injury, or other mental injuries.
(5) The number of veterans currently in need of and
expected to be in need of prosthetic care and treatment because
of amputations incurred during service in support of Operation
Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, or Operation Enduring
Freedom.
(6) The current number of pending Department of Veterans
Affairs claims from veterans of military service in Iraq and
Afghanistan, and the total number of such veterans expected to
seek disability compensation from the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
(7) The total number of members of the Armed Forces who
have been killed or wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan, including
noncombat casualties, the total number of members expected to
suffer injuries in Afghanistan, and the total number of members
expected to be killed in Afghanistan, including noncombat
casualties.
(8) The amount of funds previously appropriated for the
Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the
Department of Veterans Affairs for costs related to Operation
Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation Enduring
Freedom, including an account of the amount of funding from
regular Department of Defense, Department of State, and
Department of Veterans Affairs budgets that has gone and will
go to costs associated with such operations.
(9) Previous, current, and future operational expenditures
associated with Operation Enduring Freedom and, when
applicable, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn,
including--
(A) funding for combat operations;
(B) deploying, transporting, feeding, and housing
members of the Armed Forces (including fuel costs);
(C) activation and deployment of members of the
reserve components of the Armed Forces;
(D) equipping and training of Iraqi and Afghani
forces;
(E) purchasing, upgrading, and repairing weapons,
munitions, and other equipment consumed or used in
Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, or
Operation Enduring Freedom; and
(F) payments to other countries for logistical
assistance in support of such operations.
(10) Past, current, and future costs of entering into
contracts with private military security firms and other
contractors for the provision of goods and services associated
with Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation
Enduring Freedom.
(11) Average annual cost for each member of the Armed
Forces deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom,
including room and board, equipment and body armor,
transportation of troops and equipment (including fuel costs),
and operational costs.
(12) Current and future cost of combat-related special pays
and benefits, including reenlistment bonuses.
(13) Current and future cost of calling or ordering members
of the reserve components to active duty in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom.
(14) Current and future cost for reconstruction, embassy
operations and construction, and foreign aid programs for Iraq
and Afghanistan.
(15) Current and future cost of bases and other
infrastructure to support members of the Armed Forces serving
in Afghanistan.
(16) Current and future cost of providing health care for
veterans who served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom,
Operation New Dawn, or Operation Enduring Freedom, including--
(A) the cost of mental health treatment for
veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder
and traumatic brain injury, and other mental problems
as a result of such service; and
(B) the cost of lifetime prosthetics care and
treatment for veterans suffering from amputations as a
result of such service.
(17) Current and future cost of providing Department of
Veterans Affairs disability benefits for the lifetime of
veterans who incur disabilities while serving in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, or Operation
Enduring Freedom.
(18) Current and future cost of providing survivors'
benefits to survivors of members of the Armed Forces killed
while serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation
New Dawn, or Operation Enduring Freedom.
(19) Cost of bringing members of the Armed Forces and
equipment back to the United States upon the conclusion of
Operation Enduring Freedom, including the cost of
demobilization, transportation costs (including fuel costs),
providing transition services for members of the Armed Forces
transitioning from active duty to veteran status, transporting
equipment, weapons, and munitions (including fuel costs), and
an estimate of the value of equipment that will be left behind.
(20) Cost to restore the military and military equipment,
including the equipment of the reserve components, to full
strength after the conclusion of Operation Enduring Freedom.
(21) Amount of money borrowed to pay for Operation Iraqi
Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation Enduring Freedom,
and the sources of that money.
(22) Interest on money borrowed, including interest for
money already borrowed and anticipated interest payments on
future borrowing, for Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New
Dawn, and Operation Enduring Freedom.
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