[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 133 (Thursday, September 25, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H8908]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE COST OF REBUILDING IRAQ

  (Mr. DeFazio asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, last fall the President's economic adviser, 
Larry Lindsey, said the war in Iraq could cause $100 billion to $200 
billion. Well, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, said, ``That is absurd. Those are 
crazy numbers.'' In fact, Wolfowitz said, ``Don't worry, they can pay 
for their own reconstruction.''
  Now, the President is asking Congress to borrow $87 billion in the 
name of the American people, $20 billion of that to rebuild the 
infrastructure of Iraq.
  Now, it is nice that we want to build a $150 million children's 
hospital in Iraq, but American kids lack basic health care. Where is 
the money for that?
  It is nice that they want to rebuild the Port of Umm Qasr, $80 
million. The President has zeroed out dredging ports in my district.
  Billions for the electric grid; not a penny for the faltering 
electric grid in the United States of America.
  $20 billion invested here would create 1 million U.S. jobs. $20 
billion in Iraq is a drop in the bucket of what it is really going to 
cost, but it will produce some nice profits for Halliburton.

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