[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 5740-5741]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         COST OF WAR WITH IRAQ

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, earlier today the Committee on Foreign 
Relations held a hearing about U.S. plans for humanitarian relief and 
reconstruction of Iraq, in the event we choose to use force to disarm 
that country. Senator Lugar, the Chairman of the Committee did a superb 
job of assembling a panel of experts to talk about the various issues 
associated with that subject, including what such initiatives are 
likely to cost and how much assistance we can expect from other 
governments, international relief agencies and non-governmental 
organizations.
  The Committee learned a great deal from our witnesses. We had a very 
good discussion of the range of costs we may

[[Page 5741]]

be looking at to pay for not only U.S. military action, but 
humanitarian relief and the longer term reconstruction of Iraq--and the 
costs are likely to be substantial--even under relatively optimistic 
assumptions.
  I was very disappointed that no administration representatives were 
present to take part in the Committee's deliberations. While the 
witnesses we heard from today were excellent and are certainly well 
qualified experts who could credibly speculate on the costs of these 
operations and other related matters, they aren't the people who are 
planning the U.S. operations in Iraq.
  Let me say, that my comments are not meant as a criticism of Senator 
Lugar, the Chairman of our Committee. He rightly identified the two key 
administration officials who are most knowledgeable on this matter--
Andrew Natisos, USAID Administrator, and retired General Jay Garner, 
Director of the newly established Office of Reconstruction and 
Humanitarian Assistance at the Pentagon--two key individuals in any 
humanitarian relief and reconstruction effort in Iraq. The 
administration declined to make them available this morning.
  That is deeply troubling to me.
  I have to believe that the administration's reluctance to make its 
representatives available to the Committee was because they would have 
been asked some hard questions, including the range of cost estimates 
that they have been working with as they plan for military action, 
humanitarian relief and the longer turn reconstruction of Iraq.
  I don't think the Committee would have found it very credible to hear 
from these witnesses that such a range of costs has yet to be 
developed, when we are just days away from war with Iraq. Nor would we 
have found it credible to hear that national security concerns 
prohibited them from sharing this information, particularly as USAID 
has just sought public bids from five major U.S. construction firms for 
$900 million in contracts for reconstruction projects in Iraq--
including for restoration of water systems, roadways, ports, hospitals 
and schools.
  Mr. President, are we saying that private American construction 
companies can be privy to details of U.S. reconstruction plans, but the 
Congress and the American people cannot? Who is paying the bills here 
anyway?
  Perhaps the administration's unwillingness to provide these witnesses 
had something to do with the timing of the hearing. Could it be that 
the administration did not want to make public those cost numbers just 
as the Senate and House are about to begin debate on the FY 2004 Budget 
Resolution?
  How can this body or the House have a credible debate on the FY 2004 
budget without knowing what war and the aftermath of that war with Iraq 
is likely to cost?
  How can this body have a credible debate about the FY 2004 budget 
without knowing what the total cost of our so called diplomatic efforts 
to persuade governments to allow the U.S. to station military troops 
within its territory, or cast favorable votes at the U.N. Security 
Council will reach?
  The answer quite simply is, we cannot.
  Mr. President, it would appear that we are on the eve of going to 
war. This is a very solemn moment for our Nation. The Congress and the 
American people need to have a full understanding of all that is 
involved in doing so, including what it will cost and the sacrifices 
that may be required in other areas. It is time for this administration 
to stop playing games and politics with this critically important 
issue.
  I would say to the administration it is time to come clean and tell 
the American people what they are going to have to pay for our military 
actions in Iraq and for nationbuilding in the aftermath of that 
conflict.

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