[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H7937]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 IRAQ HAS BECOME THE ``FORGOTTEN WAR''

  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, after more than 5 years of occupation, 
America continues to have over 140,000 troops in Iraq. We continue to 
employ tens of thousands of military contractors. Over 1,200 Iraqi 
civilians died in the violence this summer alone, and there are still 
over 4 million refugees. Yet, Iraq is becoming the ``Forgotten War.'' 
We barely hear about it anymore. I have not forgotten Iraq. I will not 
forget it.
  I rise today to remind the House of two things: First, America 
continues to occupy a country that never attacked the United States and 
was never a security threat to us; and second, we continue to spend 
over $10 billion a month in Iraq, at a time when the American people 
are losing their homes, their health care, and their jobs.
  Everyone who is forgetting Iraq should read the recent report of the 
Government Accountability Office. GAO offers a harsh assessment of the 
administration's handling of the occupation, and warns that the 
security environment in Iraq remains volatile and dangerous.
  The GAO report describes many problems. Only 24 percent of the Iraqi 
funds budgeted for reconstruction have been spent. Essential services 
to the Iraqi people continue to lag. The daily supply of electricity 
meets only half the need. The Iraqi ministries responsible for 
essential services spent only 11 percent of their capital investment 
budgets in 2007. Many of the benchmarks for progress have just not been 
met.
  Perhaps worst of all, the administration has failed to develop a plan 
for improving the delivery of government services in Iraq. And to make 
matters worse, the GAO has urged the Defense Department and the State 
Department to work together to come up with such a plan, but both 
departments have refused to do so.
  Many of the points made by the GAO were also made by former Iraqi 
Prime Minister Allawi when he testified before Chairman Delahunt and 
the Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on International 
Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight just last month. Prime 
Minister Allawi said, ``Progress continues to be very slow, if not 
stagnant, for public services and the economy, which includes the 
provision of electricity, water supply, health services and creating 
job opportunities.''
  Iraq continues to be a humanitarian disaster area, Mr. Speaker. A 
recent story in the press reported that Iraq needs 100,000 doctors, but 
has only 15,500. Many doctors fled after our invasion in 2003. A 
country that has seen over 5 years of bloodshed, obviously needs a good 
health care system. Iraq's health care system is in chaos.
  Mr. Speaker, we keep hearing that the Iraq occupation is making 
things better when, in reality, it's making things worse because it 
delays the day that Iraq can really get back on its feet.
  Ending the occupation would allow us to focus more resources on 
reconstruction and humanitarian efforts. It would allow regional and 
international partners to come into Iraq to help with reconstruction 
and reconciliation, because those countries simply won't get involved 
until we redeploy.
  Mr. Speaker, it's time to end the occupation once and for all. It's 
time to shake off our amnesia and remember the forgotten war.

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