[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 25283]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      ESCALATION IN IRAQ WAR COSTS

  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, I rise tonight to draw attention to the 
surge, or escalation, of the occupation of Iraq. This time it is not an 
escalation of troops; it is the escalation in spending to continue this 
senseless, apparently endless occupation.
  Recent estimates put the cost of the military actions in Iraq and 
Afghanistan at $808 billion by the end of this year. That's just 
knocking on the door of $1 trillion, Mr. Speaker. Let me say that 
again: we are closing in on $1 trillion, and we haven't even begun to 
put together a plan to bring our troops home.
  This administration has talked about a Korean- or Vietnam-like 
presence in Iraq. This could mean as much as 50 more years of U.S. 
boots on the ground. Conservative estimates put just one more decade of 
military spending at $1.5 trillion. Who knows what it will be after 20 
or 30 or 50 years.
  The United States has an obligation, both moral and political, to 
help the people of Iraq to rebuild their nation. Whether through 
reconciliation or reconstruction, our commitment must be ongoing. But 
we can't start either of these while we are funding this 
administration's occupation.
  Despite the bravery of our men and women in uniform, we all know that 
we can't bring peace and stability to another country down the barrel 
of a gun.
  A recent report by the Congressional Progressive Caucus found that 
this misdirection of funds may actually be endangering our own 
homeland. Each of my colleagues can go to my Web site, 
www.Woolsey.house.gov, and find out what it is costing their 
congressional district.
  My district of Marin and Sonoma counties in California have already 
paid $1.3 billion for the occupation of Iraq. That could have paid for 
nearly 25,000 public safety officers or nearly 18,000 port container 
inspectors to provide real security for our homeland.
  Instead of passing on a war deficit to our children and 
grandchildren, we could have been investing in their future and, Mr. 
Speaker, we must. So far in paying for the occupation, we could have 
paid for 20,000 more elementary school teachers, or we could have 
provided almost 500,000 more children with health care, or 200,000 
college scholarships to worthy students.
  America's working families have demanded, they went to the polls in 
November, they want us to end this occupation. They want real 
investment in their own communities. They want this Congress to stand 
up to the White House and demand that our troops and military 
contractors be brought home, not in 10 years, not in 50 years. They 
want our troops home in a safe and orderly responsible manner by the 
holidays.
  Enough of the endless occupation. Enough of the misspent billions. 
Enough is enough, Mr. Speaker. Let's bring the troops home. Let's 
provide for a secure future for American and Iraqi families.

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