[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 137 (Wednesday, October 1, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H9083]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONSTITUENTS EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON PRESIDENT'S REQUEST FOR $87 BILLION 
                              SUPPLEMENTAL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I wanted to join my colleague, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), who, along with him, I have been 
reading some letters and e-mails from constituents regarding their view 
on the ongoing war in Iraq, and their views about the request for $87 
billion. A number of these e-mails that I have gotten have been 
generated by moveon.org that has an online petition where hundreds of 
thousands of people have signed on, and many of them have written 
comments regarding their unwillingness to spend $87 billion, 
particularly while the leadership team that got us into Iraq is still 
in place, and as long as we fail to internationalize the effort in 
rebuilding Iraq.
  So I thought it would be useful to read some of the letters and the 
e-mails that I have gotten.
  Rebecca from Park Ridge says, ``This Congress has a responsibility to 
ensure that our tax dollars are used well, but President Bush is 
demanding another enormous blank check. Congress must withhold the $87 
billion requested by President Bush until he dismisses the team 
responsible for the quagmire in Iraq, starting with Defense Secretary 
Rumsfeld, and end the U.S. occupation of Iraq by transferring authority 
for rebuilding to the United Nations.''
  Doralee of Evanston says, ``I beseech you as moral people who care 
about the survival of this world to deny Bush's request for $87 billion 
and fire Rumsfeld and develop a whole new approach to restoring Iraq by 
involving the United Nations. This is such a serious matter that you 
cannot give Bush blanket authority anymore. He has not handled this 
situation in a competent manner.''
  And Barbara from Wilmette says, ``I was stunned and disheartened to 
read that President Bush is asking for $87 billion from Congress for an 
occupation in Iraq that has only lead to the death of our soldiers and 
Iraqi civilians and further bitterness of the Iraqi people toward the 
United States.''
  Oletta from Chicago says, ``This war has been fiscally and morally 
mismanaged and should not garner any further financing without an exact 
budget and defined timelines. Don't let Bush and his administration 
continue to bankrupt America because he still doesn't know what he is 
doing or is going to do.''
  Pamela says, and she is from Chicago, ``I believe we need to invest 
in rebuilding Iraq and protecting our troops, but we need to do it in a 
sensible way, in concert with the world, and in a way that benefits the 
people of Iraq. So, the quid pro quo for the money is a change in 
policy and in leadership.''
  Cecelia, also from Chicago says, ``I don't begrudge funding, as long 
as I feel that the war is properly managed. I don't. Our soldiers are 
vulnerable, the Iraqis seem to hate us, the terrorists are picking us 
off, and we don't seem to have a plan to change any of this. Firing 
Rumsfeld would be a start.''
  David from Chicago says, ``I hear story after story of parents of our 
men and women serving in Iraq sending regular care packages with things 
like sun screen because their children are not being provided these 
items by the military. It is clear that the money being spent is not 
being targeted to those in the service and apparently not to the Iraqi 
people who still lack power, water, food, and medical facility. It does 
appear that Halliburton is profiting quite nicely from its no-bid 
contract. I object to sending more money until Mr. Rumsfeld is removed 
and we get an accounting of how the money is being spent and who is 
getting their pockets lined with it.''
  Janice from Chicago says, ``Congress must withhold the $87 billion 
requested by the President until he dismisses the team responsible for 
the quagmire in Iraq, starting with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, and 
ends the U.S. occupation by transferring authority for rebuilding to 
the United Nations.''
  Jonathan from Chicago says, ``Don't reward failure. The war in Iraq 
was won handily, but the Defense Department's hamfisted attempts to run 
things in Iraq, over the objections of the more experienced State 
Department, has been dismal and embarrassing. By all means, fund the 
continued rebuilding efforts in Iraq, but not while the architects of 
the current mess are still choosing how to spend our money.''
  And David from Chicago says, ``Please make sure we don't alienate the 
rest of the world more than we already have. Please make this 
administration admit that it has made a misstep by not involving the 
world community in the Iraq situation from the outset.''
  Jeffrey from Chicago said, ``This is outrageous, given the fiscal 
crisis our States are in, and the fact that the money would go a long 
way to shore up education or help programs that confront the issues of 
homelessness or poverty. Get up and do something about this. I'm 
keeping track.''

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