[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 84 (Wednesday, June 22, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1311]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. CAROLYN C. KILPATRICK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 20, 2005

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2863) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes:

  Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I strongly disagree with 
the defense policy of the Bush Administration. While I disagree with 
the policy, I do not believe we should deprive our troops in the field 
and our military of the funds they need to protect our country.
  Since 2003, Congress has appropriated almost $250 billion for the war 
efforts by passing supplemental appropriations bills in 2003, 2004 and 
2005. U.S. spending in Iraq will be at least $75 billion to $80 billion 
this year and could approach $400 billion by 2006, according to 
Congressional Quarterly. This approaches the $406 billion cost of the 
Korean War. Last month we passed a fiscal year 2005 supplemental 
appropriation that totaled $82 billion, the second largest supplemental 
in history. Only one month has passed, and we find ourselves voting for 
another $45 billion for war funding for the first 6 months of the 2006 
fiscal year.
  Assuming the size of the U.S. military presence in Iraq and 
Afghanistan will remain at approximately the same level through 2006, 
the war costs will require another $40 to $45 billion. No money will be 
spent that is not directly related to the war. No money under the $45 
billion supplemental portion of the bill will be spent on the Army's 
modularity initiative or to increase the permanent end strength of 
active duty forces.
  I am a strong advocate for developing a plan for withdrawing U.S. 
forces from Iraq. We should keep in mind that the FY05 supplemental 
contained language that requires the Defense Department to provide 
Congress with a set of performance indicators and measures of stability 
and security in Iraq and a timetable for achieving these goals. The 
first report is due in July. We look forward to how DoD will define its 
strategies for success.
  This bill is framed principally by our missions in Afghanistan and 
Iraq. In my judgment the forces we have on the ground in Operations 
Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom are doing a fabulous job, but the 
size of our Army and Marine Corps is just too small to do the job we 
are asking them to do. I hope the funds in the bill will provide for 
that shortfall.
  I support this bill in order to properly equip our troops with body 
armor, vehicle armor and other equipment to protect them from insurgent 
attacks. As much as I regret the War in Iraq, I cannot ignore the fact 
that we are a Nation at war. This bill recognizes and provides our 
troops with the tools they need to do their job.

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