[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 19, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H3379]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             SMART SECURITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I am here to express my opposition to H.R. 
4200, the fiscal year 2005 Defense Authorization Act. Among other 
things, the bill would approve an additional $25 billion for the war in 
Iraq. For those that may have forgotten, let me refresh your memory.
  Last November, that was a mere 6 months ago, Congress approved $87 
billion to fund military operations and reconstruction efforts in Iraq 
and Afghanistan. At that time, President Bush misleadingly declared 
that no additional funds would be needed until the year 2005. Since 
then, funds allocated for Iraq appear to have been misused, misspent 
and in some cases downright stolen by the companies assigned the tasks 
of rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure.
  It would be totally irresponsible to provide another blank check to 
this administration, which still has not accounted for how the last $87 
billion was spent. But the last $87 billion and the $78 billion before 
that is just the tip of the iceberg.
  The cost of maintaining our forces in Iraq alone costs the United 
States taxpayers $5 billion a month, and that does not take into 
consideration the vast reconstruction costs, and more importantly, the 
tremendous human costs that we are occurring every single day. That is 
$60 billion a year just to continue our military operations in that one 
country, assuming nothing goes wrong.
  And as events in the streets of Fallujah and the abuses within the 
walls of the Abu Ghraib Prison have shown with this administration in 
charge, inevitably there will be more things going wrong. In fact, some 
estimates suggest that the cost of the war in Iraq could approach a 
total of $400 billion by 2006.
  There are programs in H.R. 4200 that I support, including extending 
coverage under TRICARE, the military's health care system, to the 
National Guard and the Reserve forces and their families who lack 
health insurance.
  H.R. 4200 also provides an across-the-board pay increase for military 
personnel, and it authorizes permanent increases to the imminent danger 
pay and the family separation allowance.
  And finally, H.R. 4200 eliminates the widow's tax which veterans' 
spouses currently face by improving the existing survivor benefit plan.
  I support all of these measures, and I have been working for their 
passage because each is an important step in keeping our promise to our 
Nation's servicemen and women, those who have sacrificed so much for 
their country. But to my great disappointment, in order to support 
these important measures for our troops and veterans, I would also have 
to support the development of new nuclear weapons and a gigantic 
missile defense system, which has never been proven effective, not to 
mention another gigantic $25 billion spending bill for the war in Iraq.
  An open check for the President, despite the fact that, one, we have 
no idea why we are in Iraq in the first place; two, we have no idea how 
our money is being spent; and three, we have no exit strategy.
  There has to be a better way, Mr. Speaker, because the Bush doctrine 
of spending without accountability has been tried in Iraq and it is 
failing.
  But there is another way. I have introduced legislation to create a 
SMART security platform for the 21st century. SMART stands for 
sensible, multilateral American response to terrorism.
  Instead of spending billions on new bunker-buster nuclear weapons and 
the President's beloved missile defense system, which would not provide 
an effective defense against a full frontal missile attack, SMART 
security calls for stronger and smarter investments at home, on 
homeland security and first responders, and abroad on peacekeeping and 
conflict-prevention programs.
  SMART security defends America by relying on the very best of 
America: our commitment to peace and freedom, our compassion for the 
people of the world, and our capacity for multilateral leadership.
  Let us be smart, let us be smart about our future. SMART security is 
tough, SMART security is pragmatic and patriotic, and SMART security 
will keep America safe.

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