[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 47 (Wednesday, April 10, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H1865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              AFGHANISTAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Jones) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES. When I was home, like most Members, during the Easter 
break, I had the opportunity to read in the Raleigh, North Carolina, 
paper an article that just really took me backwards. The title of the 
article is: ``Iran Is Victor in Post-War Iraq.'' The first paragraph 
says:

       Ten years after the United States-led invasion to oust 
     Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, the geopolitical winner of 
     the war appears to be the common enemy: Iran.

  Mr. Speaker, I think most of us in the House know that 25, 30 years 
ago, our Nation supported Saddam Hussein when he was fighting the 
Iranians. This is what frustrates the American people. We create a bad 
policy; we continue to support a bad policy. It makes no sense.
  Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak to the inspector general 
for the Iraq Project, and when I get the report, I would maybe like to 
share more information. Just for example, approximately $11.7 billion 
in waste, fraud, and abuse. What makes this so ironic is that the 
Iranians are possibly becoming the beneficiaries of this money. The 
taxpayers now are spending money in Iraq that could possibly be going 
into the coffers of the Iranian people. I guess that makes sense to 
most of my colleagues, but it doesn't to me.
  I encourage the American people to go to www.costofwar.com. If you 
can get it on the Internet, you need to see it. The American people 
need to understand what is happening in Afghanistan and Iraq. You will 
see a combined total of $1.4 trillion, and it's a running total. It 
doesn't stop; it doesn't pause; it just keeps running. So there we go 
again. Poor Uncle Sam can't take care of his bills, but we're going to 
take care of these foreign countries. It makes no to sense to me.
  Mr. Speaker, a total of 6,656 American troops have died in the Iraq 
and Afghanistan wars, not to mention the thousands of civilian lives 
lost and the veterans who return home physically and mentally wounded. 
Whether it's in Iraq or Afghanistan, we cannot continue to spend money 
that we don't have and neglect the American people.

                              {time}  1020

  I hope the people of this country and my fellow colleagues share my 
outrage and my concern, because it would be almost a sin if we continue 
to spend this money without any accountability or very little to speak 
of.
  Mr. Speaker, yesterday I visited a soldier from my district in North 
Carolina. He was at Walter Reed Hospital at Bethesda. His father called 
me 4 months ago and said, I really would appreciate if you would see my 
son. He's lost a leg. He's lost fingers. He's badly burned.
  Mr. Speaker, it was humbling to go to Walter Reed yesterday and see 
this young corporal, but he is what makes America great. His attitude 
is excellent, not complaining about his injuries, and I just pray to 
God that we will realize that if we don't stop spending the money we 
don't have that young men and women like the corporal in the years to 
come will not get benefits because we will be financially broke. That 
will be a sin, and I hope it never happens.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I will be back next week. I will have the inspector 
general's estimate on the cost to stay in Iraq for 2 more years, and I 
hope to have some figures I can leave and put in the Record, because it 
is time that we have a debate on our foreign policy right here in the 
House of Representatives. Maybe we will in May. I hope so.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, as I always do, I ask God to please bless our 
men and women in uniform, to please bless the families of our men and 
women in uniform, in His loving arms to hold the families who have 
given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq.
  I ask God to bless the House and Senate, that we will do what is 
rights in the eyes of God for God's people today and God's people 
tomorrow.
  I ask God to please bless the President, that he will do what is 
right in the eyes of God for God's people today and God's people 
tomorrow.
  Mr. Speaker, three times, God, please, God, please, God, please 
continue to bless America.

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