[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 130 (Wednesday, September 5, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H10081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          COST OF WAR IN IRAQ

  (Mr. SIRES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SIRES. Madam Speaker, the President's war has already cost the 
American people dearly in both lives and tax dollars. Congress has 
appropriated nearly $477 billion for the war since March 2003, and the 
U.S. is currently spending an estimated $10 billion a month on the war. 
This spending continues despite reports that 15 of 18 benchmarks for 
success have not been met and casualties in the war are 65 percent 
higher this year than last.
  This Democratic Congress and the American people are ready for a new 
direction. We believe it is time to bring our troops home and begin 
investing here in the U.S.
  If you took just some of the money we are spending in Iraq and 
invested it here instead, we could take care of a lot of our seniors' 
prescription drug cost problems. And for the cost of just one week in 
Iraq, we could hire 51,000 more police officers to make our streets 
safer.
  Madam Speaker, it is time for Republicans in this body to listen to 
the American people and join us in calling for an end to the financial 
drain of this war. It is time to invest in making our Nation safer here 
at home.

                          ____________________