[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3142]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       WASTEFUL SPENDING IN IRAQ

  (Mr. GRIJALVA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, as the President gets ready to ask this 
Congress for an additional $145 billion to fund his efforts in Iraq and 
Afghanistan, a new report has come out showing tens of millions of 
dollars in wasteful spending by our government in Iraq.
  Stuart Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraqi Reconstruction, 
released his quarterly report last week. It concluded that the $300 
billion U.S. war and reconstruction effort is plagued with waste, 
spiraling violence, and corruption. Among the worst misuses are $43.8 
million for a residential training camp that stands empty, about $4.2 
million for 20 VIP trailers and an Olympic-sized pool that was ordered 
by the Iraqi ministry of interior.
  Perhaps the most disconcerting, however, is that our government spent 
$36.4 million for armored vehicles, body armor and communications 
equipment that could greatly benefit our troops, but it is completely 
unaccounted for. Mr. Speaker, this abusive spending in Iraq must stop 
for the American taxpayer and for the troops.

                          ____________________