[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 144 (Wednesday, October 15, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H9387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1315
                      SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS

  (Mr. DeFAZIO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, today Congress will begin the debate on 
borrowing $87 billion to continue the conflict in Iraq and build that 
country. Not rebuild it, build it. It is not for war damage; it is a 
vision of people in the Bush administration of the needs of the Iraqis, 
which apparently exceed the needs of Americans when it comes to clean 
water. They are appalled that they have open water systems; we have 
open water systems in the U.S. They are appalled that the port does not 
have state-of-the-art cranes. Well, we have got a lot of cranes missing 
from ports in the United States.
  Then the most outrageous thing is somehow we have troops over there 
without ceramic body armor. Despite the fact, we appropriated $79 
billion earlier this year, $300 million to buy $27 million worth of 
vests. There was a nearly $400 billion Pentagon budget; could not find 
the $23 million there. Now, we are told they need another $300 million 
to buy $23 million worth of vests. How many times are we going to buy 
these things? What is going on?
  When are the troops going to get the equipment they need? Billions 
and billions for contractors, for Pentagon procurement, but the troops 
do not have the basics. There is something very wrong with this 
picture.

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