[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 148 (Tuesday, October 21, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR DEFENSE AND FOR THE 
              RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, 2004

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                               speech of

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 17, 2003

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3289) making 
     emergency supplemental appropriations for defense and for the 
     reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes:

  Mr. MOORE. Mr. Chairman, I will vote for this supplemental spending 
bill because I believe we have an obligation to support our troops. I 
am proud of our brave men and women in uniform, but I am disappointed 
that the President has not assembled a greater international coalition 
to share the cost of policing and rebuilding Iraq. American troops and 
taxpayers should not bear this heavy burden alone. We are spending 
nearly $1 billion each week and 2 to 3 American lives each day to 
continue this effort.
  Mr. Chairman, our military personnel are putting their lives on the 
line to maintain order in Iraq. Nearly 200 soldiers have died in 
bombings, ambushes and other hostile incidents since the President 
declared an end to major combat operations. We owe our brave men and 
women a deep debt of gratitude. But we also owe them a sustained 
diplomatic effort to ensure that our allies will share the peacekeeping 
burden in Iraq.
  I also believe it is wrong to ask the American taxpayers to bear the 
full financial burden of rebuilding Iraq. That is why I supported an 
amendment which would have converted half of the reconstruction aid to 
a loan. That is also the reason I have consistently urged the President 
to involve our allies in the reconstruction effort. We should help the 
Iraqi people rebuild their country. But we shouldn't do it alone.
  Mr. Chairman, I am also concerned about the future costs of the Iraq 
effort. It is imperative that the Administration provide Congress with 
a realistic estimate of future reconstruction costs. Congress and the 
American people need this information in order to assess the impact our 
Iraq programs will have on our 2004 budget, which is projected to be 
more than a half trillion dollars in deficit.
  Mr. Chairman, I support this legislation because I support our 
troops. These funds will help to ensure that our military personnel 
have the equipment they need to complete their mission in Iraq. But in 
the long run, the best thing we can do for our men and women in uniform 
is to more fairly share the peacekeeping burden with our allies.

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