[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 61 (Thursday, April 17, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H2455]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     WITH ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, IRAQ MONEY CAN BE BETTER SPENT AT HOME

  (Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, as taxpayers filed 
their income tax this week, many were probably wondering just how much 
of their individual taxes would be invested in Iraq instead of here in 
the U.S. at home. Consider that every single second, the Bush 
administration is spending $4,000 in Iraq. That means that income taxes 
paid by the average taxpayer would not even cover the cost of one 
second of this war.
  This country is already facing difficult economic times. We cannot 
afford to continue spending $339 million a day on a war that has no 
strategy for victory. If we invested one day of this sum in America 
instead, we could give 2.6 million American children access to medical 
and dental care, or we could hire more than 2,000 more border patrol 
agents to protect our borders. And we could send 18,000 more students 
to college.
  Madam Speaker, at a time when Americans are getting squeezed at the 
pump and the supermarket and are suffering in the housing market, 
Washington Republicans need to realize that we should prioritize the 
needs of America over those of Iraq.

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