[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7455]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           RECONSTRUCTION AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN IRAQ

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, let me make a comment about another item. 
We will be, later this week, responding to the President's request for 
a supplemental appropriations.
  Clearly, we need to provide supplemental funding. We will not send 
America's sons and daughters to war and then decide we will not provide 
the funds necessary. This Congress will and must.
  One piece, however, of this request by the President is for 
reconstruction assistance in Iraq, and humanitarian assistance. Should 
we do humanitarian assistance? You bet we should. Absolutely. It ought 
to be a first priority.
  But reconstruction? Let me make the case that reconstruction in Iraq, 
in my judgment, should be funded from Iraqi resources and Iraqi oil. 
This is a country rich in resources, endowed with very substantial oil 
reserves.
  While I will support reconstruction in Iraq, I am one who believes, 
when the job in Iraq is finished, the resources and the oil that exists 
in the country of Iraq ought to produce the revenue for the 
reconstruction of Iraq. I intend to make that case in the 
Appropriations Committee later this week and next week here in the 
Congress.

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